MP Ghassan Hassanbani visited the Metropolitan of Beirut and its dependencies for the Greek Orthodox, Bishop Elias Adra. Hassanbani's media office reported that "the meeting discussed current issues in the country, focusing on immediate dangers and the potential for hope that could break through the wall of the ongoing crisis."
After the meeting, Hassanbani stated: "We are facing the most significant dangers Lebanon has known in its history, coinciding with a financial and economic collapse in a situation that could escalate into war if not addressed. Therefore, we are keen for the government to take direct action to prevent the expansion of war by first implementing international resolutions that were originally established to stop wars."
He added: "The government should leverage the international community's concern to prevent the expansion of this war, and it must deploy the Lebanese army across all Lebanese territories and work to calm the situation to prevent further escalation."
Regarding the presidential file, Hassanbani confirmed that "the presidential election is very necessary, but its importance must be accompanied by respect for the constitution and the Lebanese people's choice of their representatives democratically." He said: "There may be consultations among political forces, but this does not replace the necessity of holding elections in the parliament."
He added: "What is needed is to elect a president of the republic rather than an agreement before the election. At any presidential election, we cannot resort to alternative methods of the constitution, as the approaches used in the past have led to Lebanon's collapse and turned it into a potential battleground on a regional scale."
He concluded: "We hope that this difficult phase will serve as an entry point to stabilizing Lebanon, and that the army, which we salute on its day, will be supported, as it is the only entity authorized to carry arms to defend the sovereignty of the homeland, its land, and its people."
