Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai has deplored the exchange of accusations between the Lebanese Presidency and al-Mustaqbal Movement, calling for a dialogue that would result in the formation of a government.
Rai visited President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace on Wednesday, before heading to the Vatican at the invitation of Pope Francis to discuss Lebanon’s political situation.
In comments following the meeting, the Patriarch called for the swift formation of a new government, saying “Lebanon is a country of dialogue … insults are unacceptable… I deplore such methods.”
He continued: “Where is the role of political officials? Where is the good will?”
A series of accusations were exchanged on Wednesday between Aoun’s office and Premier-designate Saad Hariri’s al-Mustaqbal.
Baabda Palace said Hariri was evading to assume responsibility in forming a “balanced government that takes into account competence, efficiency.”
It said his moves “constitute a further violation of the Constitution and the National Pact, and reflect a clear and deliberate desire to disrupt the government formation process.”
It added: “The premier-designate insists on trying to seize the authorities of the President of the Republic and his natural right to respect the Constitution by resorting to practices that strike customs and principles, and inventing new rules in the formation of the government, explicitly violating the national balance upon which Lebanon was founded.”
The presidential office went on to say that al-Mustaqbal, by rejecting the proposal for “a national dialogue conference at the Baabda Palace to address the situation in the country and try to find a solution to the current governmental crisis, wants to block any rescue attempt to form the government and carry out the necessary reforms which would secure the country’s stability and prosperity.”
The movement struck back, saying the Lebanese Presidency had fallen “captive to the personal ambitions of [former Minister and Aoun’s son-in-law] Gibran Bassil.”
“All campaigns against the presidency are mastered by Gibran Bassil… sometimes by promoting sectarian discourse, and others by resorting to practices that contradict the Constitution and National Pact,” the statement added.
