Caretaker Information Minister Ziyad Al-Makari, accompanied by the Ministry’s Director General, Dr. Hassan Falha, visited the building of “Al-Liwa'” newspaper in Beirut, and they met its editor-in-chief, Salah Salam, in the presence of the editor-in-chief, Hussein Saad, and the head of Al-Makassed graduates, Mazen Sharbaji.
Makari
After the meeting, Al-Makari said: “It is a great honor for me to visit the offices of “Al-Liwa” newspaper, and since I was appointed to my position, I have been striving to stand by all the Lebanese media, especially since the state and the Ministry of Information are no longer able today to provide support as in the past. But at least we prefer to be cooperative with the entire media body in all regions and from the various political and partisan affiliations in Lebanon.
He added, “We talked about the political situation in the country, especially the presidential election, and we touched on the issue of the newspaper and its employees and the conditions for their continuation.”
He explained that he briefed Salam on the atmosphere of the meeting of the Council of Arab Ministers of Information, and that Beirut will be the capital of Arab media in 2023, “and this is cooperation we want with the press, especially with the” brigade “which has an ancient Arab extension, and we want it to help us and benefit from its experience in the world of media and journalism.” We will soon hold meetings in this regard.”
Hello
For his part, Salam stressed that “Al-Liwa” newspaper is known as “a platform for moderation, dialogue and openness, and the current impasse regarding the presidential elections can only be overcome through a comprehensive national consensus on the next president.”
And he believed that “the country today is suffering from a series of crises and tragedies, and that people can no longer bear more delays, wasted time, and more unproductive sessions in the House of Representatives,” calling for “resolving this issue as soon as possible, especially since the bells outside are ringing for us, warning From our going towards the big crash in case we are late in electing a president for the republic.”
He said, “Minister Makari preached to us that Beirut will be the capital of Arab media in 2023, and it is an opportunity for the Lebanese media and press to restore their role in the Arab world.”
a dialogue
After that, Minister Al-Makari said in response to a question: “It is no longer possible to continue the election sessions without a horizon, and that there is a certain stagnation in entitlements, candidates, and proposals, and we can no longer progress,” stressing “the need to change or break something from In order to enter a different scene,” he ruled out, “this matter will happen in the near time, and from today until New Year’s, the current scene will not change.”
And he expressed his conviction that “(former) Minister Suleiman Franjieh is the only one who is able to communicate with everyone and fits the stage, and he is a man of openness and tolerance, and the only candidate who announced extending his hand to opponents before the allies.”
He announced his support for “convening cabinet sessions because there are life matters that cannot wait, and the issue has nothing to do with the sect or with the presidency of the republic, but rather with the Lebanese constitution.”
He was asked whether there is communication between Franjieh and influential regional countries, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he replied: “Never, Franjieh did not have hostile positions towards Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. Whether there was communication or not, there are no serious reasons that prevent this relationship from being good, and the evidence is Franjieh’s position in the Taif Forum.