Head of Kataeb’s Foreign Affairs Department, Marwan Abdallah, said that the opposition is attempting to propose solutions in a bid to end the current deadlock, stressing the urgent need to address the political chaos resulting from the lingering presidential void.

"We are ready to engage in discussions with all local factions, including those opposed to us, because our goal is to elect a president,” he said in an interview on Voice of Lebanon radio station on Wednesday.

“If the electoral process is clear, constitutionally and legally, why the need for dialogue?" he asked.

Abdallah pointed out that dialogue should normally occur among equals with shared concerns, not with armed groups imposing their will by force.

"Today, we are being held hostages by Hezbollah's agenda, whereas a strong State and its institutions should be built,” he stressed.

Abdallah criticized Hezbollah’s domineering role in Lebanon, saying it was forcibly inserted into the manifestos of Lebanon’s consecutive governments by devising the so-called “people-army-resistance” trilogy.

"If we were in a State governed by the rule of law, legitimate arms, and impartial judiciary, we wouldn't demand guarantees from the faction controlling State resources before engaging in any dialogue or agreement."

Asked whether Hezbollah is expecting a price locally in exchange for halting hostilities on Lebanon’s southern border, Abdallah said that the price is due from those who requested the party to wage a war in the first place.

Abdallah blasted the recent disparaging remarks made by Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad against some Lebanese, accusing them of being reckless and caring only about their comfort and relaxation while the south is under attack.

"Mohammad Raad speaks in sectarian terms, while we respond in a national language. Lebanon is a country of culture, diversity, democracy, human rights, and openness. We do not want Lebanon to be a country of murder, death, and external agendas. Lebanon is for everyone," Abdallah said.

"We have made it clear to all local factions that we want to build a nation and State institutions, and that we want a consensus president. However, we are surprised by the arrogant response that we got.”

"When war serves an external entity, we will not fight it. For us, Lebanon comes first and last."

Abdallah stressed the need for State institutions to function orderly so that Lebanon would be represented at the negotiation table through its elected president, warning that Lebanon's absence might render it a token prize.

"We tell the world that when you come to Lebanon and speak with the Parliament Speaker, the government, and Hezbollah, you speak with one side and hear the same story, thus it is essential to recognize the existence of a parliamentary majority opposing Hezbollah,” he stressed. “There is no legal or constitutional solution when one faction controls the State. We have no problem engaging in discussions with any local party, but we don't want initiatives that violate the Lebanese Constitution and futile agreements. All of the previous dialogues that Hezbollah has reneged on serve as clear proof.”

“We are not willing to jeopardize the future of our youth for the mere delusions of individuals who seek to annihilate another country at our expense to fulfill external agendas," he said, noting that Iran uses Lebanon as a platform to deceive countries into believing it defends the Palestinian cause.