Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi received Kataeb Lawmaker Selim Sayegh and Kataeb Political Bureau Member Alain Hakim in Bkerke.

After the meeting , Sayegh said: "In the face of great ecclesiastical, political, and national challenges, we came to consult His Beatitude about Bkerke’s ideas and to discuss with him the issues that concern the citizen and the nation."

"Today, Bkerke is taking strong positions; the foremost among them being the rejection of  burdening Christians with the repercussions of the failure to attain the presidential entitlement,” he noted. 

He emphasized that when Christians reached a consensus on a candidate, the session was obstructed.

In the same context, Sayegh added: “The presidential elections file must be prioritized.”

 “The international interest in Lebanon and in the presidential file still exists. The completion of this entitlement is a gateway to addressing all other issues and also paves the way for restoring order in the political life in Lebanon,” he affirmed.

"Lebanon cannot and should not be dragged into the expansion of the war on its southern border. This matter constitutes a financial and economic burden and increases concerns that affect the country. This decision cannot be taken by anyone. Why should Lebanon alone bear the consequences of the Palestinian cause since the 1970s? The Maronite Patriarchate position on Jerusalem and the Palestinian cause is clear. What matters to us is preserving Lebanon. Our position on ending the war is clear and decisive," he stressed.

Regarding the army leadership file, Sayegh said: “The military institution must be preserved. We saw consistency in this file through the position of the Maronite Patriarchate and the Middle East Council of Churches, which stipulates that the military institution in Lebanon should not be shaken by its personality and the person of its leader."

"As a result, we must preserve this institution by any means. What we are witnessing today is heresies aiming to undermine the morale of the Lebanese Army and its symbols. We also informed His Beatitude about our vision on this matter.”

“We will meet with the French presidential envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian. We will discuss with him the file of army leadership and the push to prevent war in Lebanon. We, as Kataeb Party, believe that the international attention must be devoted to break through the existing political barriers in a bid to achieve the entitlements. We call on all parties to elect a president,” Sayegh concluded.