Statement by Opposition MPs:
Beirut, October 7, 2024
Fellow Lebanese citizens,
In the face of the tragedy we are collectively enduring due to the brutality of the Israeli aggression—especially our people in the South, the Beqaa, and the southern suburbs of Beirut, who are facing death, displacement, and destruction—we deeply value the national solidarity manifesting across all Lebanese regions. This solidarity is evident in the unwavering support of all segments of the Lebanese people for their displaced brothers and sisters, reflecting the core desire of the Lebanese to live together under one Lebanon.
In every hardship that befalls Lebanon or any part of it, and in every crisis that affects the Lebanese or any of their communities, the features of one unified state reemerge. This state is for all its citizens, transcending sectarian or regional divisions. Each time, we are reminded that our Lebanese national identity is our shield, our guiding compass, and our best and only choice. In our modern history, we have learned repeatedly that any attempt to act unilaterally, outside the framework of the constitution and the common national interest, has led us to disaster—both as groups and as individuals.
Today, we reaffirm that our shared fate and salvation lie in the Lebanese returning to one another, in returning to Lebanon as the “final homeland”—a democratic country, a land of freedoms, dialogue, and openness. Today, we have a duty to save ourselves, our people, and our country together, with unified and sincere will.
In light of the dangers threatening the Lebanese entity, the opposition forces' deputies call upon the constitutional authorities to take responsibility in order to save the Lebanese people, who are paying the price of a destructive war they had no choice in, and to save Lebanon and protect its citizens. This can be achieved by immediately taking the following steps:
1. The Lebanese government must decide to separate Lebanon from any other regional paths, reject all forms of external interventions and tutelage over Lebanon, and commit to an immediate ceasefire, fully implementing Resolution 1701 in all its details and recommendations, applying the Taif Agreement, and other international resolutions, particularly Resolutions 1680 and 1559. This should lead to the consolidation of the armistice agreement, the restoration of sovereignty, the decision of war and peace, and restricting arms to the state alone. It should also ensure the return of all displaced people to their villages, so that the Lebanese people—across all communities and regions—can finally live under the protection of one strong, sovereign, and just state, as equal citizens with equal rights and duties.
2. The Speaker of Parliament must set a fixed and final date for a session to elect a president, in continuous rounds as stipulated by Articles 73, 74, and 79 of the Constitution, without conditions or the creation of new constitutional or political precedents. The goal must be to elect a reformist, sovereign, and rescue-focused president committed to the Constitution and Lebanon’s sovereignty.
3. Form a cohesive government whose priorities are to implement the Constitution and international resolutions, and to initiate the recovery, reform, and reconstruction process.
4. Deploy the Lebanese army across all Lebanese territories and control all border crossings, supported by enhanced UNIFIL forces on all Lebanese borders—south, east, and north—by land, sea, and air.
5. Support the Lebanese army and enable it to fully carry out its duties, while protecting it from being drawn into any war that the Lebanese state has not decided to engage in.
6. Reaffirm Lebanon’s external relations with the Arab world, in particular, and the international community in general, and reposition Lebanon accordingly. Lebanon must adhere to Arab and international legitimacy in accordance with the Taif National Accord.
Fellow Lebanese citizens,
The time has come for us to transform our national tragedy into a “historic opportunity” to break free from the cycle of repeating the past and its mistakes. Let us all return to a common word, to build together a homeland of freedom, partnership, and human dignity, a state of sovereignty, justice, and the rule of law, so that our people can reclaim their right to life, security, prosperity, and hope.