The President of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, stressed that there can be no republic without a president, calling for the resistance to serve the country rather than the country serving the resistance.

Speaking on “A Minute with Gebran,” Bassil said: “We experienced a phase where the Shiite duo insisted that there should be no ceasefire in Lebanon without a ceasefire in Gaza.” He explained, “We were neither convinced nor in agreement with this stance. Instead, we sent a written letter on April 8 demanding a ceasefire. We informed Hezbollah that Israel would halt its attacks on Lebanon if the firing in Gaza stopped, and that’s exactly what happened.” He added, “Lebanon’s call for a ceasefire came too late, and Israel refused.”

Bassil noted that in the current phase, “the Shiite duo has adopted a new stance: ‘No presidential election in Lebanon without a ceasefire.’”

He questioned this logic, saying: “Usually, a ceasefire condition is imposed to put pressure on the enemy. But who is this condition targeting? Lebanon and its people.” Bassil emphasized, “This election is in Lebanon’s interest. Are you using it as leverage against Israel? If you were telling Israel that electing Lebanon’s president would be conditional on stopping its aggression, that would make sense.”

He continued: “But who says that, when you decide or deem it appropriate to elect a president, Israel will simply allow it? A single drone launch could escalate tensions and even endanger Lebanese MPs, preventing the election process altogether.”

Bassil urged against tying Lebanon’s fate and its national interests to external matters beyond its control. He asked, “If the war doesn’t end, does that mean we will remain without a president?”

In conclusion, Bassil reaffirmed, “There is no republic or state without a president. A country and its institutions cannot function without one. The resistance must serve the nation, not the other way around.”