The Deputy Secretary-General of "Hezbollah," Sheikh Naeem Qassem, expressed his sorrow over the fighting in the Ain al-Hilweh camp, stating that it is a conflict among brothers that puts pressure on the people and affects the surroundings, and that there are no winners in this senseless retaliatory action which is unacceptable under any banner or title. He considered that this action serves Israel, whether or not it is directly linked to it, as the camps should be calm to mobilize against Israel and prepare for the return after complete liberation, rather than engage in fighting and influence struggles.
During his sponsorship of the annual meeting of the Islamic Religious Education Association in Baalbek, Qassem saw that there are two paths, with no third option, for achieving the Lebanese presidency. The first is dialogue and understanding as a prelude to parliamentary sessions that lead to the election of a president, which is what State President Nabih Berri recently proposed for dialogue to be a means for the elections. This is a positive development in light of the deadlock where deputies have met in parliament 13 times without success in electing a president, and dialogue might become an influential door to accomplish the entitlement.
He continued: "The second path is the fear that the vacuum may prolong and the discussions on dialogue become lengthy, focusing on consensus around the president who possesses the right qualifications. This means reaching a common ground on the president's personality without conditions or opposing conditions and without prolonged dialogues, especially since the three essential conditions we desire are available in Sleiman Frangieh. He, firstly, has an openness to everyone and does not cement factions for the upcoming phase; secondly, he has a clear political vision for the independence of Lebanon, the liberation of Lebanon, and its resistance against the Israeli enemy, refusing to submit to the enemy's ambitions; and thirdly, he is ready to implement a rescue economic plan within the framework of the council while being open to both the East and West and all parties."
Naeem Qassem questioned: "Is it possible to reach consensus with someone who wants confrontation? Is it feasible with someone who wants to divide the Lebanese and challenge against Lebanon's interests? Can consensus not be reached with someone like Sleiman? Is reaching consensus with those advocating for division and federalism, while prolonging the presidential vacuum if they do not assume power, acceptable? And why can consensus not be achieved with others who work for national unity?"
He added: "Time is precious, speed is required, options are not open, and waiting will not bring miracles. Lebanon desperately needs the presidential entitlement, and who cares if we do not pay attention to the entitlement? The cost of living is exorbitant, public education is at risk, healthcare is in danger, poverty is increasing, and the administration is nearly paralyzed. How long should we wait while searching for narrow gains?"
Qassem concluded: "I advise against placing the entitlement blame on external factors; the problem is internal and needs to be addressed. The internal is responsible for the entitlement, and we all bear responsibility, as people will hold us accountable directly, and we are facing an entitlement that we should not squander."
