The Minister of Culture in the caretaker government, Mohammad Wissam Al-Mrtada, stated that "we want a free president who contributes to building a new Lebanon that preserves diversity, protects unity, cares for resistance, seeks to liberate all land, and ensures the protection of sovereignty. However, it seems that there are those who do not want Lebanon and the Lebanese to have such a president, which is why we are facing these complexities that temporarily hinder the election of a new president for the republic."
In an intervention with "Sputnik," he explained that the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, "has not concluded the dialogue nor has he denied it, but he has affirmed and continues to affirm on every occasion that the Lebanese cannot overcome their crises except through meeting, deliberation, dialogue, and consensus." He pointed out that "President Berri highly appreciates the Qatari initiative that establishes dialogue among the Lebanese components, and he hopes it will lead to a positive outcome regarding the presidential vacancy crisis."
He indicated that "some are linked to agendas that aim to demoralize the Lebanese from living together and work to dismantle the Lebanese formula, and therefore it is not suitable for them for the Lebanese to meet in dialogue to solve their crises. This is why the repeated attempts by President Berri to gather political forces at a dialogue table regarding the presidential file have failed. Ultimately, only the truth will prevail, and Lebanon will overcome its crises and remain adorned with coexisting life and shared values."
He considered that the Qatari movement "represents a sincere and genuine attempt by a state that has proven itself in the darkest circumstances to be the best ally of the Lebanese and to support them." He said, "We are counting a lot on its efforts to make a breakthrough in the presidential file and hope that its endeavors will be crowned with success, but I fear that there are other foreign forces and their tools within that do not currently wish for Lebanon to emerge from its severe crisis, which makes them work to undermine this initiative."
