On Wednesday, MP Faisal Karami announced the formation of a new parliamentary bloc called "National Accord," which includes MPs Faisal Karami, Adnan Traboulsi, Hassan Mourad, Mohammad Yahya, and Taha Najji. During a press conference, Karami confirmed that "we are united on national constants, foremost among them being Lebanon's Arab identity and the importance of its openness to Arab brothers," emphasizing that "the National Accord bloc transcends regional boundaries, and we hope it will also transcend sects. It is not a continuation or repetition of any previous bloc."
He noted that the coalition "believes that overcoming the current impasse requires a comprehensive reform path at political, economic, financial, and social levels, serious efforts to combat waste and corruption, advancing forensic auditing, adopting transparency and administrative reform, swiftly utilizing Lebanon's resources in energy and water, supporting the Lebanese pound, and implementing programs that achieve growth, increase production rates, foster social solidarity, and move towards administrative decentralization, balanced development, and environmental protection."
He added: "We are united on the urgent necessity that cannot tolerate any further delays to save Lebanon from the abyss we are teetering on the edge of, which can only be achieved through restoring political life, reactivating institutions, and selecting qualified individuals to steer the ship that is on the verge of sinking, according to a rescue plan that considers the supreme interest of Lebanon and ensures that no additional burden is placed on the Lebanese citizen."
Karami considered that "the gateway to accessing these solutions begins with electing a president and forming a legitimate government, allowing institutions to return to their normal functioning." He emphasized that the bloc calls for consensus "through a comprehensive national dialogue aimed at reaching genuine understandings, without any suspicion of quotas or manipulation of constitutional texts," pointing out that they rely on the Taif Agreement "as the foundation upon which we build our efforts to achieve stability and the interest of the nation, and we reject selectivity in applying and using the constitution in a way that undermines the nation and the good living."
He urged postponing "any discussion about constitutional amendments until after national recovery, as the current timing for raising such matters is fraught with many risks that threaten Lebanon's unity." In response to a question about whether the name of former minister Jihad Azour as a presidential candidate provokes the bloc, Karami said: "There is no name that provokes us. We are waiting for the announcement of nominations and then we will evaluate accordingly. We do not classify ourselves as either opposition or support."
