The Grand Mufti of Lebanon, Sheikh Abdul-Latif Deryan, received a delegation from the Lebanese Forces led by MP Ghassan Hasbani, who stated, "We discussed the current situation, hoping that Lebanon would not be dragged into a war it cannot withstand even a small part of, which we have begun to endure in its initial stages as we see and witness in the southern regions, which are expanding into other Lebanese areas. There is displacement of Lebanese from their towns and villages, jobs, and schools; people are dying, and there are victims. Significant economic losses have occurred to Lebanon, and if this war expands, the losses will be much greater."
He continued, "We wish to return to national priorities today, electing a President of the Republic without being forced to move outside constitutional rules or creating new frameworks and norms. We are open to consultation with parliamentary parties as long as it is within the constitution. Consultation is currently ongoing at both bilateral and multilateral levels to set the specifications for the President and some names that have been suggested, but we do not want to step outside the constitutional framework. The constitution stipulates that members of parliament must convene for open sessions with consecutive terms, and there should be an election for a President of the Republic even before the presidential seat is vacant and after it becomes vacant, we must necessarily meet according to the law and elect a president."
He added, "Today, there are good initiatives being undertaken by some colleagues, which we welcome positively as long as they are within the constitution. Consultation is welcomed, but the most important thing is the holding of open parliamentary sessions with consecutive terms, and all members must commit to not leaving this session, ensuring the quorum until a President is elected, as this is a gateway to stabilizing Lebanon, especially in the difficult conditions we are going to face in the coming phase, which requires Lebanon to have a significant presence in international forums and all international negotiations and discussions taking place regarding the situation in the region."
When asked about their view on the efforts made by the quintet committee to accomplish the presidential entitlement, he replied, "We welcomed the quintet committee's endeavors and continue to do so, especially the recent statement issued in Qatar that outlined the specifications for a President of the Republic who possesses integrity, is free from political and financial corruption, is unifying for all Lebanese, implements the constitution, deals positively with economic and financial recovery, and is capable of leading this campaign. This is the president we aspire to, and they should also be able to return Lebanon to international forums and break the isolation it currently faces. We continually welcome the efforts made by this committee and urge the Lebanese that this solution must be Lebanese, as the quintet committee tries to bring closer viewpoints and facilitate the issue, but the presidential solution is an internal Lebanese solution, and consultation is a means to this solution within constitutional frameworks, without creating customs outside the constitution."
Regarding whether the specifications would apply to all presidencies, he considered that "good and positive specifications should apply to all presidencies, and we aspire for our presidencies in all constitutional positions to be free from political and financial corruption and to be unifying for all Lebanese. This is found in the spirit of the constitution, and they can all work together because the legislative authority and the executive authority complement each other to formulate the plans and approaches required for recovery and stability in the country and to return Lebanon to its esteemed position at the regional and international levels."
### National Balance Meeting
Mufti Deryan met with the "National Balance" delegation, who spoke on behalf of the group after the meeting. Saeb Matarji said, "We extended our congratulations to Mufti Deryan on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, and we emphasized the importance of the comprehensive Islamic and national role played by the Dar al-Fatwa in uniting the voices of the Lebanese. We reiterated our support for his positions calling for the rejection of extremism and conflicts and for adopting means of communication and consultation to address our crises, foremost among them ending the presidential vacancy and electing a President of the Republic as soon as possible."
### Tripoli Bar Association
Mufti Deryan also received a delegation from the Tripoli Bar Association, led by the head, Sami Merhi Al-Hassan, who said after the meeting: "We visited the Dar al-Fatwa, which is a national house in Lebanon, to congratulate His Eminence on the arrival of the month of Ramadan and to seek his blessing after our election to the Tripoli Bar Association. We discussed various matters including the Sharia court and the proper conduct therein, as well as issues related to preserving the constitution and electing a president for the country. We felt His Eminence's concern for maintaining the constitution and the premier position in the country and his great effort to this end, and we thanked him for his national endeavors."
