The President of the Independence Movement Michel Moawad stated: ‘After two and a half years of vacancy which had paralysed the public institutions and caused serious social and economic crisis, the start of the new Presidential Mandate provides the foundation to bring back the confidence of the Lebanese in their country. After seeing a real President of the Republic in power, they now hope that the Institutions will resume functioning in an efficient way.’

Moawad was visiting the leader of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea in Meerab, in the presence of MP Fadi Karam. He added: ‘This mandate came to be as a result of a national compromise that has three pillars. The first pillar is putting aside the 8 March and 14 March alignments to try and save Lebanon as much as possible from the fires of the regional conflicts until a comprehensive regional agreement is reached. The second pillar is re-empowering the national political partnership as the doorway to re-enforce the Taef Agreement. The third pillar is to return to the institutions and bring back life to them, starting from the Presidency of the Republic and the Government, and to issue a new Electoral Law and hold the Parliamentary elections on time.’

Moawad also warned that ‘what has been taking place in the last days is not just the claiming of a ministerial portfolio here or wanting a relevant post there. It is a pre-meditated attempt to try to constrict the Mandate and bring down the political settlement that brought it to power. Some are sending political messages to others by holding military parades, inside and outside the country, in addition to moving forward in exerting their hegemony and trying to block the national balance and partnership in order to prevent the application of the Taef Agreement terms. Some are trying to move the paralysis that had hit the Presidency, to the Government. All these matters have as an aim to break the basis of the present political settlement. But this is not acceptable. We all know that all have the capacity to create obstacles, like it happened during the 2 and half years of Presidential vacancy. But there is a unique way to reach a settlement, and that is to reinforce the Taef Agreement and a balanced political partnership. This includes empowering and enhancing the Institutions in order to restore confidence in Lebanon and give a boost to the economy without neglecting to address the present imposing problems which start with corruption and don’t end with the refugees’ crisis.”