Maronite bishops called on MPs on Wednesday to elect a president in order to alleviate the suffering of the Lebanese people.
In a statement issued following their monthly meeting at the summer patriarchal residence in Dimane, under the chairmanship of Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai, the Maronite bishops urged parliamentarians to “assume their responsibilities by electing a president, a crucial move to warrant constitutional authorities and rescue Lebanon from its financial and economic collapse, state fragmentation, security threats, (foreign) influence on national decisions, and the emigration of young people.”
The bishops also expressed “strong reservations” regarding international efforts aimed at demarcating the land borders between Lebanon and Israel. They emphasized that “these borders are already defined and established by international agreements,” and that only a president and a full-fledged government with full executive powers “can manage the process and oversee its implementation.”
The Maronite bishops also voiced their concerns about the proliferation of illegal weapons and the deteriorating living conditions, especially among civil servants and within military and security institutions.
