Former Minister Chouccair Meets Derian, Calls for Political Reform and Economic Recovery

Former Minister Mohammad Chouccair, the head of the "We Are All for Beirut" gathering, expressed his views on the current situation in Lebanon.

He said that "this summer has been good, and the situation has significantly improved compared to the previous year."

"We expect the local GDP for this year to be between 34 and 36 billion dollars. However, we need God to guide some misguided politicians so that we can elect a president," he added.

"Despite the efforts of the private sector and their fight for it, the country cannot be fixed without electing a president and forming a government," Chouccair stressed.

His remarks came after he met with Grand Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian, at Dar al-Fatwa.

He further commented that "the private sector has managed to reform itself during this period and adapt to the situation."

"We have overcome this difficult phase. Unfortunately, the biggest problem today lies in the public sector, with salaries reduced to 10 percent of what they used to be. In contrast, the private sector's salaries have reached 80 percent and, in some cases, even 100 percent compared to before the crisis," he explained.

"That's why we hope for the election of a president, the formation of a government, and the first item on the agenda should be resolving the situation in the public sector because what is happening to them is a crime," Chouccair stressed.

He also said that "there is no doubt that the economic situation is linked to the political situation. 

"Despite the private sector's struggle, we have managed to stand on our feet again. To continue this, we need to improve the political situation and establish a plan for banks and an economic and financial recovery plan. Without these steps, things will not improve," he noted.