The upcoming municipal elections in South Lebanon have taken on heightened political significance, moving far beyond the traditional scope of local development, Rita Boulos, a member of the Kataeb Party's political bureau, said.

In a post on Facebook, Boulos described the polls as an “existential battle” against what she termed a “systematic demographic re-engineering project” aimed at undermining the region’s diversity and identity.

“Municipal elections in the South, from the border villages to the heart of Jezzine, are no longer a routine developmental process,” Boulos wrote. “They have become a political and existential confrontation against a project that is reshaping demographics, erasing diversity, and threatening identity.”

Boulos cited recent developments in Kfarhouneh and other towns, where she said that the principle of “coexistence” was being misused to serve a larger political agenda. These instances, she noted, are indicative of a broader policy framework that seeks to marginalize certain communities under the guise of unity.

“In the border villages, the battle is one of resilience in the face of intimidation, pressure, and attempts to hijack local decision-making,” she said. “In Jezzine, it’s a fight to preserve its historical role and safeguard its identity.”

Calling on voters to resist what she described as efforts to “erase identity” and “eliminate diversity,” Boulos urged the electorate to reject parties that “do not believe in the state or its legitimacy.”

“Today, the South is called upon to make its voice heard: No to identity erasure, no to the obliteration of diversity, and no to surrendering local authority to groups that reject the legitimacy of the state,” she said.

She framed the act of voting as a form of resistance: “Resilience is expressed through will, and through the ballot box. Let every free vote in these elections be a shot fired against coercion, subjugation, and blind loyalty.”

“The South will remain in the hands of its free people. And Jezzine will remain the beating heart of sovereignty," she concluded.