MP Pierre Bou Assi, a member of the “Strong Republic” parliamentary bloc (Lebanese Forces), considered that “Hezbollah is not a resistance but rather a scheme to seize power.” He pointed out that Naim Kassem, Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary General, expressed this clearly by saying that “even if Jerusalem falls, we will not surrender our weapons.”
In a live interview on X (formerly Twitter), Bou Assi clarified that the Lebanese Forces do not refuse a dialogue prior to electing a president for the Republic, but they are vigilant towards the law and the constitution, thus they do not want a president to be elected in disregard of the constitution. “We will not tolerate any infringement on our rights,” he added.
Bou Assi pointed out the Sunni “disarray” in political representation. He explained that this is due to the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and Saad Hariri’s withdrawal from the political scene, stressing that leaders are not made overnight nor created by compromises.
Assessing foreign countries’ interests in Lebanon, Bou Assi said that “we all know that Lebanon is not a priority for other countries; their interest in Lebanon depends on the political circumstances.”
He mentioned that America’s interest in Lebanon is limited to the Lebanese-Israeli border issue. As for France, he noted the current retreat of the French role after the unsuccessful attempts by France’s envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian.
Regarding his meetings with officials in Qatar, Bou Assi mentioned that the emphasis of the discussions was on the presidential vacuum, with Qatar expressing readiness to take an initiative towards Lebanon.
