The Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Elias Boussab, viewed his absence from yesterday’s meeting in Jordan, which discussed the issue of displaced persons, as the biggest catastrophe, stating, "This is evidence of how dire the situation has become." Following his meeting with the head of the "Kataeb" party, MP Sami Gemayel, on Wednesday in Sayfi, Boussab noted, "Lebanon is absent from the international community." He emphasized the need to agree on "continuing discussions and the path we want to take, because without any effort, we will remain in place," pointing out that "some are betting that my actions will lead to no result, but doing nothing is worse."
He added, "We are not waiting for any solution from abroad; the initiative I started aims to build bridges for dialogue, not to propose a specific president, and no one has asked me to do so." Furthermore, Boussab commented on the statement issued by the U.S. State Department, clarifying, "We discussed this a while ago with MP Gemayel, and we realize that we must rely on ourselves, not on external help, to overcome the crisis," noting that "I do not want to get into names because I do not base my visit on that; timing is important, and it is not correct that we can wait indefinitely to find a solution, which is why we are moving."
The visit of the Deputy Speaker is part of a tour he is conducting with a number of officials, in an attempt to break through the presidential file. For his part, MP Sami Gemayel expressed openness to any initiative by any MP to find solutions, pointing out that "the issue transcends the presidency, relating to our future in this country, and we are convinced that Lebanon cannot endure another six years under the previous mandate, with Hezbollah controlling the country's decisions and hindering reforms, development, and rebuilding relations with the international community."
Gemayel confirmed that they "are ready for any solution that leads us to a new phase based on state sovereignty and freedom in the country's decision-making, a strong economy, and the reconstruction of what was destroyed, and we will oppose any solution that keeps us in the current situation." He continued, "The problem is not with us but with those who always impose their viewpoint on us, and with those who want to decide our future, the decisions of peace and war, our relations with others, and who prevent the implementation of reforms, and any possibility for recovery. If a decision is made, based on regional changes directly linked to this, to open a new page with the Lebanese and change the way they deal, we are ready to sit with them and extend our hand to resolve the entire issue." He added, "The issue is not about Frangieh or individuals, but rather about a political line that has led the country to its current reality."
