MP Najat Aoun concludes Parliamentary sit-in: Our efforts to break the Presidential vacancy wall were in vain

In a recent announcement, MP Najat Aoun Saliba affirmed her commitment to national environmental interests within her field of expertise outside the parliamentary realm, extending her gratitude to her colleague, Melhem Khalaf.

Saliba clarified that when she, along with Khalaf, decided to remain within the Lebanese Parliament, starting from January 19, 2023, their aim was, and continues to be, a confirmation of their allegiance to a state of institutions as the sole reference for their work, political lives, and the determination of national destiny. 

This is coupled with their belief in the necessity of adhering to constitutional and democratic mechanisms exclusively to achieve these goals in all domains, including "filling" the presidential vacancy following the presidential seat's void, with the Parliament having abstained from its constitutional duty in this regard.

She said: "We firmly believed that the objective, internal, opportunity was favorable at that time to elect a president, but we discovered that the reality on the ground was completely different."

She added: "What did we discover? We discovered, first, that the Speaker of the Parliament was reluctant, for multiple and intertwined reasons, to invite the General Assembly to open sessions to elect the President."

Saliba affirmed that he has always refrained from carrying out this duty because he and the parties that support him are unsure of the consequences of voting to elect the President in open sessions.

Saliba continued, "Secondly, we discovered a lack of will among the MPs to convene for the election of a president. 

She admitted that the result was that the Parliament, which should have been "its own master," denied its constitutional duty, submitting to the will of the vacancy, "overseen by the Speaker himself, and anyone who followed his lead in this position."

The Lebanese MP stated that this situation has driven "the sovereign decision out of Lebanon, putting it into the hands of external, regional, and international interests to the extent that Lebanon has become, due to its political decisions, corruption, weapons, and sectarianism, outside the realms of history and geography."

She emphasized, "Lebanon cannot turn east or west in the presence of a locally rejected and internationally and regionally isolated authority."

Saliba revealed, "My colleague Melhem Khalaf and I decided to refuse involvement in this dangerous constitutional violation, but after 243 days since the beginning of our stand, we found ourselves in a vicious circle."

She expressed that she and Khalaf had spared no effort, knocking on every door and initiating dialogue with various parties, but to no avail.

Saliba announced her decision to continue her national interests outside the Parliament, especially within her field of environmental expertise. 

She has devised a comprehensive environmental plan in collaboration and coordination with environmental experts, international and local organizations, and institutions to implement this plan across all Lebanese territories.

She appealed to the MPs to make the constitutional decision to elect a president and ensure the proper functioning of institutions as soon as possible.

Saliba concluded, "Lebanese women and men, we must not allow the state's death or the demise of Lebanon."