Rahi: Citizens’ Rights Must be Prioritized over Sects

Maronite Patriarch Beshara el-Rahi on Saturday criticized Lebanese leaders for bickering over government shares while the people suffer from poverty and a crippling economic and financial crisis ongoing for more than a year.

“The rights of sects must come to an end in front of the citizen’s right for food. We only want peace, not war. Neutralization of Lebanon falls in the interest of everyone, while the international conference can eliminate the piling conflicts (between leaders),” said Rahi during the Easter message.

Rahi lashed out at the “merciless” ruling authority, he said: “How distant is the ruling authority from mercy. How painful it is to see them manipulate the fate of the nation, unaware of their erroneous choices while others hold on to (foreign) nations other than Lebanon at the expense of the people,” he added.

On claims that some articles of the constitution are “ambiguous” and are to blame for the cabinet formation delay, Rahi said the “Constitution is the solution for the government impasse.”

Al-Rahi called for "a government of non-partisan specialists in which no party has a blocking third that meets the aspirations of the Lebanese."

He concluded voicing fears for Lebanon’s entity, “It has become evident that we are in front of a scheme aiming to change Lebanon’s entity, system and form,” the Patriarch concluded.