President Aoun tackled the situation of the
Electricity of Lebanon and Hydrocarbons Corporation, with the Energy Minister.
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Patriarch Al-Rahi: “There is no fear that Lebanon
will re-start under a government whose members are excellent, provided that
politicians and sects do not engage in government and justice”.
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Patriarch Al-Rahi stressed the necessity of issuing
a law allowing Lebanese immigrants to participate in the parliamentary
elections,.
Patriarch Al-Rahi: “I am a Lebanese believer that
Lebanon has sovereignty, independence and dignity which must be respected”.
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The Maronite Patriarch, Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi
emphasized that he has no fear that Lebanon will move forward again in light of
the presence of a government whose members are excellent and well-known,
speaking of a basic condition “That politicians do not engage in government,
ministers and justice, and that sects do not engage in justice and government”.
The Patriarch stressed the necessity of issuing a
law allowing Lebanese immigrants to participate in the upcoming parliamentary
elections.
“I am a Lebanese who believes that Lebanon has
sovereignty, independence and dignity that must be respected. What is said on
social media does not change my convictions” Patriarch Al-Rahi asserted.
Positions of the Maronite Patriarch came while
meeting President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun.
Latest internal developments in light of the
formation of the government and gaining confidence, were addressed .
Statement:
“I had was honored to visit His Excellency the
President of the Republic to congratulate him and all the Lebanese on the new
government because it generates hope for them after the country suffered and we
all suffered with the absence of a government.
This was the main reason for the visit and we
discussed with all living and material issues, issues of refrigerators and
apple seasons, in addition to educational matters, schools and the conditions
of the people, students and teachers, in addition to the issues that citizens
suffer from, such as fuel, especially gasoline and diesel..
We discussed these issues that the President of the
Republic is also experiencing. We have hope that in the presence of a
government whose members are excellent and well-known, there is no fear that
Lebanon will move forward again and restore normal economic life.
However, there remains a basic condition that
politicians do not engage in government, ministers and justice, and that sects
do not engage in justice and government. We are in a country that separates
religion and state on one hand and the authorities on the other. We cannot move
forward and everyone deals with something that does not concern him. Let
everyone work in his place. Let the separation of powers be the separation of
authorities and the separation of religion from the state, a separation of
religion.
This means that we, as clergymen, deal with issues
of principle, matters that relate to the human being from his rights to the
good of society and the nation, but we do not enter into narrow matters,
neither with appointments nor with other matters, for example.
This also applies to politicians who have to deal
with political affairs, as they have nothing to do with the administration, the
ministry or the judiciary. What makes us retreat in Lebanon and what makes the
government unable to move forward, as well as the parliament, and justice as
well as security, are these overlapping interventions.
These are our wishes, and then we can dream of the
existence of a state, not states, a central state that imposes its prestige and
security and can help all citizens to be respected by all states, from the Arab
states to which we belong to the international community, as a country enjoys
its sovereignty and independence and has its security, army, dignity and
constitutional institutions. A
country which enjoys a separation of powers that the whole world will witness
to.
The media should not publicly the bad news in front
of everyone. Let us take positive issues and highlight them, and there are many
positives among the Lebanese people, highlight the positives that the Lebanese
enjoy abroad Especially those who
excel. We are in a state of illness, should I kill myself for that? I have to
take care to recover from the disease, and the media should help show Lebanon's
positive face, especially since the positives outweigh the negatives”.
Questions & Answers:
Asked about the ministerial policy statement and
what the government can achieve, the Patriarch replied: “It is not required for
me to agree or disagree. The ministerial statement included titles that
constitute the government’s action plan, and we give full confidence to the
responsible authority, and what concerns us is that the work is to serve the
country, the whole country, all the Lebanese, he Lebanese citizen, their
dignity and their rights, and the life of this country with dignity,
independence, sovereignty and freedom of decision. This is what we repeat
constantly”.
Asked about the parliamentary elections and the
attempt to abolish the right to vote for expatriates, Patriarch Al-Rahi
replied: “Citizens in many countries participate in the elections where they
are, and this took place in Lebanon. It remains for Parliament to regulate the
law so that the Lebanese people around the world can exercise their rights,
especially since they have Lebanese citizenship. Shall we tell those to take
the Lebanese nationality and preserve your patriotism and your Lebaneseness,
while they do not have the right to participate in the elections?
A law should be passed allowing Lebanese
immigrants to participate in the elections. And whether the representatives are
from inside or outside, this matter is linked to how the law is issued.
I have heard many immigrants say that if they have
to elect six representatives from all over the world, how can they get to know
each other, and why don't they vote from Lebanon, especially since they know
the candidates? This is what they
say, but what the Parliament decides, let it be”.
Regarding criticism of what was stated in his sermon
about oil tanks that arrived in Lebanon, the Patriarch said that “We are
accustomed to tolerance and forgiveness, but that does not change my
convictions. It is Syria, and it is not allowed for diesel tanks to enter under
the security authority of the Syrian army and Hezbollah. I called this a
derogation of Lebanese sovereignty and dignity, and there is no longer any
consideration for Lebanon, and this is unacceptable and I cannot accept it.
What they say on social media and what they do not say does not change my
convictions. I am a Lebanese believer that Lebanon has sovereignty,
independence and dignity that must be respected. This is what I constantly
demand no matter what is said and written”.
Energy Minister:
The President met the Minister of Energy, Engineer
Walid Fayyad, and discussed with him the situation of the Electricité du Liban,
the obstacles facing its continuation in the production of electric energy, and
the measures to be adopted to solve this crisis.
The fuel situation in general, especially diesel
and gasoline was also tackled in the meeting.