Kataeb MP Elias Hankache blamed the political settlement which has been ruling Lebanon for the past three years for the current situation, saying that it has drowned the country at all levels.

“This settlement hasn't saved the country. It rather established new concepts related to partitioning that is adopted by those in power,” Hankache said in an interview with Al-Shiraa magazine.

“The country hasn’t been saved yet; we have instead drowned even further after the settlement, be it economically, socially or internationally."

The lawmaker stressed that the Kataeb party bases its political work on convictions and constants, adding that it does not change its stances based on interests.

"That is a long journey of struggle of 80 years during which the party sacrificed a lot for this country,” Hankache stated.

“It would’ve been easier for us to take part in the settlements that have been sealed over the past three years and score political gains. We refused to do so out of full conviction, being aware that this does not lead to the Lebanon we want,” Hankache noted.

Turning to the government's purported fight against corruption, Hankache said that there are still no concrete actions that prove the ruling authority's sincerity, outlining the nees for serious reforms in the public sector.

“There are tax and customs evasion as well as violations related to maritime properties that need to be dealt with. We cannot target the citizens' pockets before we solve problems in the public sector,” he said.

Public administrations should be purged and all types of illegal hires, be it daily-paid or contractual jobs, must be stopped, Hankache noted.

"We are facing economic stagnation and financial inflation, so we cannot treat minor issues without first dealing with the fundamental ones," he concluded.