26/05/2023

Ibrahim Mrad welcomes uprising of opposition representatives in Lebanese Parliament and their unity against Hezbollah

BEIRUT — In a significant move, opposition parties and independent groups in Lebanon have joined forces to release a statement addressing Hezbollah’s military activities.

Ibrahim Mrad, the head of the Universal Syriac Union Party (USUP) and Secretary-General of the Christian Front, promptly welcomed the statement, hailing it as an important step forward, particularly in its call for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701. Mrad emphasized that similar decisions were made in the past to disband militias, leaving only Hezbollah as the remaining armed group that now wields control over Lebanon’s fate, predominantly in favor of Iran.

In public comments, Mrad stated:

“For many years we have been calling for the signing of an official document addressing the international community to implement the UN resolutions under Chapter VII, because we have failed to rein in Hezbollah politically, no one inside Lebanon wants to confront it militarily, nor do we want the Lebanese army to clash with it. However, we insist on the establishment of a free, democratic, and just state whose foundations Hezbollah has shaken through the distortion of all the meanings and concepts of the state, which led to the isolation of Lebanon from the outside world, its bankruptcy, and the starvation of its people, with the aim of subduing them, subjugating them, or displacing them so that Hezbollah can declare its state on the ruins of the Lebanese state.”

Mrad expressed the resilience of the free Lebanese people, asserting that they have not succumbed and will not submit to oppressive rulers. He highlighted the imperative of constructing a free, sovereign, and independent state, emphasizing that the path towards achieving this goal lies in establishing a federal system.

According to Mrad, only a federal system can guarantee the transformation of Lebanon and its diverse society into prosperous and inclusive states.

The joint statement issued by the opposition shed light on Hezbollah’s ongoing efforts to exert dominance over Lebanon and its people. It underscored the concern that Hezbollah places its own sovereignty above that of the Lebanese state, disregarding any decisions that may contradict the interests of its regional affiliations.