NNA – Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday expressed his quot;pain and grief with the dear residents of Ain Ebelquot; over the death of Lebanese Forces member Elias Hasrouni, who was abducted and killed earlier this month.
quot;He struggled with them during the years of resilience and struggle,quot; al-Rahi added.
Turning to the deadly Kahale incident, the patriarch expressed solidarity with residents and said Fadi Bejjani was quot;the victim of Hezbollah#39;s arms truck.quot;
quot;We#39;re also pained by the fall of a victim from its (Hezbollah#39;s) ranks,quot; al-Rahi added.
Stressing that quot;the investigation should be left to the military institution, security agencies and the judiciary, out of our permanent faith in the state and its institutions,quot; al-Rahi added: quot;We will not deviate from the approach of the state and we will not descend into living without it at a time we are calling on the country#39;s components and parties to be under the state#39;s authority, especially as to the use of arms.quot;
The patriarch also emphasized that quot;it is impossible to live on one land with two states, two armies, two authorities and two sovereignties.quot;
quot;That#39;s why the Taif Agreement should be implemented,quot; al-Rahi added, while calling for quot;the election of president as soon as possible.quot;
quot;The failure to elect a president since last September is unjustified, seeing as he is the guarantor of state institutions#39; revival and the preserver of the coexistence formula,quot; the patriarch went on to say. — NAHARNETnbsp;
nbsp;
nbsp;
nbsp;
nbsp;