Lebanese political landscape: Elie Marouni's views on Presidential elections and foreign influence

The MP and former minister from the Lebanese Kataeb Party, Elie Marouni, expressed his satisfaction with the ambassadors' efforts of the Quintet Committee, concerned with the Lebanese file, led by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This article was originally published in and translated from the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Anbaa.

He praised their continuous efforts for Lebanon, hoping their movement would raise awareness among some Lebanese MPs and ultimately lead to the election of a president for the Lebanese state threatened to collapse.

Marouni indicated that the atmosphere surrounding the committee's work speaks of positives in the coming spring, hoping it is true, expressing regret for ambassadors working for Lebanon and MPs obstructing the salvation of Lebanon.

Marouni emphasized to" Al-Anbaa" that "all our efforts are focused on securing the election of a president for the republic who believes in sovereignty and freedom, away from involving Lebanon in the axes of resistance that destroyed and isolated it."

He considered the "opposition's steadfastness continues to prevent the election of a president chosen by Hezbollah to preserve what remains of our homeland, Lebanon."

He added: "The main obstacle to the election of a president is internal; specifically the parties insisting on imposing their dominance, influence, and sectarianism on the Lebanese people. They reject any candidate outside their endorsement under the slogan him or no one."

Marouni believed that "their interests align with those of foreign countries seeking to trade or dominate the Lebanese card regionally and internationally, particularly I mean Iran. However, if the MPs wanted to elect a president based on patriotism and adherence to their conscience, they could elect a president today rather than tomorrow."

In response to a question about the stance of the caretaker government and its handling of issues and files in the absence of the presidential vacancy, Marouni said: "It was strange, unacceptable, and condemnable, the stance of the caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, linking the election of a Lebanese president to the cessation of the war on Gaza. "

"This position intersects with Hezbollah's stance, while most Lebanese reject linking Gaza to Lebanon, despite the political and humanitarian support for the people of Gaza. Because, on the contrary, a prosperous Lebanon, with its completed political structure, is more beneficial to Palestine and Gaza than a weak or destroyed Lebanon," he said.

Marouni continued: "The stance of the resigned Prime Minister is rejected, and everyone should return to Lebanese positions before anything else. The logic of caretaking and its limits must be respected, and the president's powers should not be infringed upon, as if we can do without the president."

Furthermore, he stated that "Prime Minister Najib Mikati's response to the laws issued by the Parliament, and in some of his decisions, exceeds the powers of the presidency, and it is more appropriate for him to work diligently to contribute to facilitating the election of a president to form a fully empowered government."

Marouni concluded, "Lebanon is without electricity, without medicine, without hospitalization, without medicine, without money, its infrastructure has collapsed, and the Lebanese's money has been looted, and therefore it cannot tolerate any war or skirmishes, and any additional destruction of what the authorities did previously and currently is more Lebanese immigration."

He stressed that "To empty the country, we must act politically wisely so as not to drag the Israeli enemy into attacking our already destroyed country."