MP Ibrahim Kanaan of the Free Patriotic Movement has stressed the importance of the reconciliation between the FPM and the Lebanese Forces, noting that it aims to prevent “encroachment on the rights of Christians.”
“A lot of people thought that we forged an agreement only to secure the election of a president or to split power shares, but we agreed so that no one thinks from now on that they can overlook us or violate our rights,” Kanaan said at a dinner banquet honoring him and outgoing LF media officer Melhem Riachi.
Kanaan and Riachi had played a key role in the rapprochement talks between the two parties.
“We have forged an agreement in order to create real partnership in this country. We will not reject anyone, but we won’t accept that they treat us the same as they did in the past 30 years,” Kanaan stressed.
“We have agreed because we have realized, through our experiences in exile and prison, that without our unity we cannot achieve anything, and now we’re seeing how we can achieve a lot through coming together,” the lawmaker added.
“We have achieved what was considered impossible in the past and all the confusion and the media campaigns that we are witnessing regarding the cabinet formation process are the result of the surprise of all parties, who had not expected that we might reach an agreement,” Kanaan went on to say.
“We are the ones who will unite Lebanon and make it strong so that it can be a message to the region and the Levant and a hub of strength for all Christians of the Levant,” the MP emphasized, reassuring that the two parties “will not use this strength to eliminate anyone.”
He added: “We will not put a veto on anyone, but we won’t accept vetoes on our (LF) allies.”
