NNA - Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, on Friday met with MP Ibrahim Kanaan at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke for 40 minutes, followed by a meeting at the patriarchal residence.
In the wake of the meeting Kanaan said that the focus of his session with the Patriarch was “responsibility”.
“Either we have a state that genuinely and seriously assumes responsibility, or we merely have stances, displays, and folklore, starting with the primary file, which is war. The Lebanese people unite in rejecting war, and there are international atmospheres that help prevent war. What practical measures are being taken? What is the actual path to implement Resolution 1701 to protect our people in the south and Lebanon, in parallel with rejecting the massacres occurring in Gaza, and in full solidarity with the Palestinian people suffering from Israeli violations? However, there is also the interest of the nation and the decision that the state must make, with everyone's solidarity, and here lies the responsibility,” Kanaan said.
"The second focus was the financial and social file, and the outcry we hear from people about the black market. His Beatitude asked me about this issue. Village mayors may resort to strikes within days because the official stamp that the state is supposed to print and distribute is missing, and official financial stamps are distributed in the black market at exorbitant prices, right in front of government ministries and centers, without any action being taken. Is this how responsibility should be? Shouldn't providing stamps legally to alleviate people's suffering, or suspending their use until they are legally provided, be considered? This outcry from Lebanese village mayors and citizens is not the responsibility of the legislator but of the government and the relevant ministers. We are ready to collaborate with them to alleviate citizens' suffering, but the situation cannot be left as it is, without initiatives or superficial initiatives and passing the buck,” Kanaan explained.
Regarding the presidential file, the lawmaker stated, "It is known that procrastination extends and includes all ports, including local authorities if a president is not elected. What are we waiting for? Initiatives? While welcoming all initiatives, it is essential to get to the heart of the matter, and any dialogue must start from the constitution, which determines the method of electing a president. After a year and a half of vacancy, it is our duty to determine and decide our options in Parliament. No one should shut the door on any initiative, and Bkerke welcomes all initiatives, but time should not be wasted, going from week to week amidst the erosion and deterioration evident in all financial, social, economic, and political files and at the level of state institutions.”
Kanaan concluded by saying, "This is my cry from Bkerke, which I share with many citizens, foremost among them His Beatitude the Patriarch."
Responding to a question about who protects the stamp mafia, Kanaan said, "Allowing this mafia to continue is what sustains it. I have filed complaints before the judiciary, and it is its duty to determine responsibilities and hold people accountable. It is the government's duty to provide official stamps, so why go to the mafia instead of the legitimate market? This is where the investigation must begin."
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