The Grand Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, welcomed the head of the "Strong Lebanon" bloc, MP Jibran Bassil, at Dar al-Fatwa, leading a delegation that included MPs Ceasar Abi Khalil, Charbel Maroun, George Atallah, Mohamed Yahya, Jimmy Jabbour, and Edgar Traboulsi. After the meeting, Bassil stated: "We were honored today as a delegation from the bloc to visit His Eminence once again in this esteemed house following the statement issued by the Mufti, in which he confirmed that he is at the head of a house that is a university for all Lebanese."
He added: "In this meeting, we heard national discourse that no two Lebanese would disagree upon, as it unites and affirms the position of a fundamental component in Lebanon, and the role it plays in this regard. Thus, we wished to make this visit to confirm our support for the Mufti and Dar al-Fatwa regarding everything that was stated in his statement, particularly pertaining to the following matters: First, the issue of the constitution and adherence to it, as well as the Taif National Accord, which we are also committed to implementing regarding decentralization specifically, establishing a Senate, and abolishing sectarianism."
He continued: "We consider it essential to complete the implementation of this agreement, as when we failed to do so, we witnessed significant setbacks in our system. On the other hand, the gaps in the constitution that we always talk about need to be addressed, and this constitution and system must be developed in accordance with what the Lebanese agree upon, rather than by any equations that may change due to external or internal circumstances. What protects the constitution and also the Taif, in our view, is not tampering with them, not undermining them, respecting and applying them, and addressing any flaws within them. I believe we were in complete agreement with His Eminence on this approach, and any exploitation of this issue by anyone must come to a halt, because since the return of General Michel Aoun to Lebanon in 2005, we have confirmed our commitment to the constitution and worked to apply and practice it."
He added: "The second topic we discussed in this meeting is very important: the Arab identity of Lebanon. I do not think there is still any disagreement about it in our constitution and our practice. We are fully convinced that Lebanon always needs – as a small country – the continuous embrace of Arab nations, which have always stood by it. Whenever they intervened in its affairs, we were the first to object to this intervention from our sovereign position, and we must reject Lebanon’s involvement in the affairs of Arab countries or any other countries. We have enough issues of our own, and we do not have the capacity to exercise foreign policies in this direction. For that reason, and from this perspective, comes our keenness on the best relations with all Arab countries; we have no interest in anything else, and Lebanon has no interest in intervening or bringing animosity against any Arab country, in preserving, first, the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon, and second, its Arab position, while living in peace in this Arab environment and maintaining the identity we possess."
He continued: "The third topic is the upcoming constitutional entitlements, primarily the formation of the government, which is an essential matter. We have emphasized it repeatedly so that we have a fully empowered government, as confirmed by the meeting at Dar al-Fatwa, a government that can exercise its required powers during this critical period Lebanon is going through and in a severe crisis like the one we are facing. What if, God forbid, we fall into a void that cannot withstand additional political crises? There is a consensus on this matter, and God willing, those concerned will make the necessary efforts so that we have a government soon."
Regarding the election of the President of the Republic, Bassil said: "The void is lethal for Lebanon in the current phase we are in, and therefore, we confirmed to His Eminence our fear of it. Because we are also aware of the depth of the financial and economic crisis, we have this time presented a different approach at our own expense with a sacrifice on our part, but without compromising on a fundamental idea, which is the representation of the President of the Republic, whether directly or through support. This necessitates that we, as Lebanese, reach a consensus as a necessary majority in the parliament to elect a president with the necessary qualities to help extricate Lebanon from the current crisis. This will spare us the void, and we should conduct the elections before the end of October, bringing us closer as Lebanese."
He concluded: "The meeting here was a call for convergence, not for dispute or retreat into a specific sect. This is an opportunity for Lebanese to unite to confront external dangers and tackle what is happening domestically in terms of mismanagement and governance, as mentioned in the statement, and pervasive corruption in the state. This requires the convergence of patriotic and reformist Lebanese. God willing, we will have a president who possesses both national and reformist qualities because coming together for good is important, not continuing in the abnormal situation we are experiencing in Lebanon due to corruption. The meeting was candid and friendly and lays the foundation for a better future." Regarding the summons of one of the bloc's MPs to the judiciary, Bassil said: "Out of respect for the place, we will remain aligned with the national discourse discussed in the meeting, which should be maintained. Thank you."
