Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Lebanon Elias Bou Saab praised Qatar's success in hosting a historic edition of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 that is difficult to replicate, adding that Qatar has achieved great success, and this achievement is a source of pride for all Arabs.
In an interview with the Qatari newspaper Al-Sharq, published on Wednesday, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Lebanon stressed that Qatar is a role model in overcoming difficulties and challenges and turning them into achievements, explaining that Qatar was able to present the best World Cup tournament that shot down all bets on its failure and refuted all smear campaigns through this high level services, hospitality and dealing with hundreds of thousands of fans coming from all over the world.
Bou Saab explains that this feeling of pride is not only due to the success of the tournament, but also in presenting a model in the ability to overcome difficulties and challenges, whatever they may be, and achieve impressive achievement.
Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Lebanon affirmed that His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani is keen to help Lebanon and support its stability and prosperity, noting that Qatar is the most prepared country to help the Lebanese get out of the crisis caused by the vacancy in the presidency of the Republic, praising Qatar's efforts to provide aid and support the Lebanese army.
Bou Saab pointed out that his visit to Doha included a series of official meetings with a number of Qatari officials and dealt with the distinguished fraternal relations between the two countries, adding that these meetings are based on the distinguished Qatari role towards Lebanon from a long time ago. In all crises, Qatar was proactive in standing by Lebanon, and this not a new thing, he said.
He added that when Doha finds the atmosphere ready, it will not delay playing any role that contributes to saving Lebanon and getting it out of its crises, noting that this issue was part of the talks he had with Qatari officials, especially since Qatar has successful experiences in the Lebanese file, in addition to its many stances and initiatives in support of the Lebanese, the latest of which was the assistance it provided after the port explosion, as well as the continuous support for the Lebanese army.
Regarding the presidential vacancy, Bou Saab said that they need a president who has an economic vision and clear positions and is open to the international community. He explained that if the positions of the presidential candidate are not clear, they will enter into a cycle of postponing the crisis instead of solving it, stressing that he prefers a president who is a politician with extensive knowledge of political and economic files and the skill to deal with the international community.
He believed that the best path to reach a solution in the current crisis is the one that takes place under the dome of the Parliament headed by the Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri because the parliamentary blocs are concerned with electing a president for the republic, adding that Nabih Berri has previously called for dialogue, and he has a long history in managing dialogue. He assured all parliamentary blocs that there is no alternative to dialogue, expressing his hope that this call will end in success, and in the event that the Lebanese dialogue fails, there are friends of Lebanon, most notably Qatar that might be ready to contribute to the dialogue between the Lebanese to end the presidential vacancy crisis.
Regarding the demands to amend the constitution, the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Lebanon stressed that the Lebanese constitution needs some amendments. Although some fear the amendment of any article of the Taif Constitution, and there are those who interpret the demand for amendment as a position against a specific party, this is a wrong, he affirmed, adding that the constitutional amendment in Lebanon has become more urgent to close the loopholes that have obstructed political life.
Regarding the Capital Control Law (which is capital control measures taken by the government or the central bank to limit the flow of foreign capital to and from the local economy) and the reform laws required by Lebanon as part of the economic recovery, Bou Saab said that there are 4 laws that must be approved by the Parliament. They approved banking secrecy, and they are currently studying capital control, he said, adding that there is also the restructuring of banks and reform of the financial system. These laws must be approved by Lebanon, in addition to establishing a sovereign fund for oil and gas resources so that they can work with the International Monetary Fund and the international community in accordance with international standards in order to create confidence that there are no loopholes for financial corruption, he explained, adding that if this was achieved, it would open opportunities to attract Arab and foreign capital and investments, most notably Qatar's investments.
Regarding the border demarcation with Syria, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Lebanon Elias Bou Saab stressed at the end of his dialogue with Al-Sharq, that it is impossible to open the file of demarcation with Syria before demarcating the southern maritime borders, adding that they have initiated contacts and asked for an appointment after the completion of the southern file to discuss the demarcation of the maritime borders with Syria, because block one and block two cannot be directly explored before the demarcation file with Syria is completed.
He said that they consider Syria a fraternal country and they deal with it from this standpoint. The expected President of the Republic must complete communication with Syria to end this file, because Syria is Lebanon's gateway to the Arab countries, he added.
