Attention is turning in Lebanon to a new “day of rage” the day after tomorrow (Tuesday), as the Parliament and the Government Serail are witnessing two contradictory sessions, the first is legislative to discuss the extension of municipal elections, and the second is for the Council of Ministers to discuss financing the elections that have become certain to be postponed, and to discuss increases in public sector salaries. Which will be accompanied by an escalation outside the doors of the Serail against the background of movements in the street, the first move by the Association of Depositors in Banks, and the second by the movement of retired military personnel in the face of any decision that does not guarantee the return of salaries to their real purchasing value.
On the other hand, the Maronite Patriarch, Mar Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi, continued to reprimand the people of power and their cronies, as he did not provide an occasion except to criticize them and hold them responsible for the collapse of Lebanon. In his message, today (Sunday), Al-Rahi considered that the real official faces difficulties and finds solutions to them, lest they escalate and cause great harm to those under his responsibility. He accused the political officials in Lebanon of striving to create difficulties and complexes that bring disastrous results for the citizens, pointing out that they have devoted every effort to not electing a president of the republic and to perpetuating the vacuum in the first presidency, and paralyzing the constitutional institutions, the parliament, the government and public administrations, six months ago.
And he said, “They threw the country into complete collapse, then returned with the same “dedication and efforts” to extend the municipal and elective councils, ironically, thinking that by doing so they justify the inability to elect a president for the republic.”
Al-Rahi asked: “How did you refuse to convene, to date, to elect a president of the republic, and continue in the presidential vacuum? their opinion and convey to whomever they see fit.
Al-Rahi accused the politicians of underestimating the people and the constitution and renewing people whose terms of office that the people gave them by proxy had expired.
He said, “How absurd the shameful reason is that there is no money to cover the costs of the elections! Why didn't you secure the money before reaching this maturity? It is a second absurdity to be added to the previous one: agreement on the person nominated for the first presidency. Where were you, O parliamentary blocs, during the six years of the term of the President of the Republic? What were you doing? Did you find a candidate? Why didn't you agree on this "person" all these years? In both of these absurdities, you made it clear to the public that you are not worthy of the responsibility that has been assigned to you, and with all this you occupy and confiscate responsibility at the expense of destroying the state and impoverishing and killing the people… Isn't this a betrayal of the trust that the people entrusted you with?
Rawiya Hashmi (Beirut) @HechmiRawiya