Kataeb Lawmaker Elias Hankach affirmed that the Kataeb party would stand with the opposition until Lebanon is liberated from the Mafia and Militias as it would also focus on “dynamism” in the new parliament. 

“None of the deputies made it to the parliament owing anyone a favor. They were all entrusted by people,” Hankach said in an interview with Sawt Beirut International. 

“Our opposition as Kataeb started when we resigned from Tamam Salam’s government way before the revolution’s wake. Then came our resignation from the parliament after the Beirut port explosion and today, we are still in harmony with our beliefs. During the parliamentary elections, we nominated 4 individuals, and here they are, today lawmakers, entrusted by the people,” he explained. 

Hankach added that his party had named Nawaf Salam as a prime minister this year just like before, as it had seen in him the person capable of making a change in this current situation away from the political authority. 

“We have been engaged in three governments since 2005 when martyr Pierre Gemayel was assassinated for standing up for State building. The Kataeb party is more than 80 years old and we learn from our past to improve and develop,” he said. 

The Kataeb lawmaker added in a similar context that the real compromise was the alliance between the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and Hezbollah (Amal Movement) despite the fact that the latter had not allowed FPM to make achievements. 

“The FPM could have plunged the country into civil war upon the deadly incident which took place in the Shuf village of Qabrshmun,” he stated.

“We have previously suggested three steps to rescue Lebanon. We spoke of early parliamentary elections, a government of competence, and a new president,” he stressed.
Hankach pointed out that politics was the art of advocating for beliefs and the aggrieved citizens’ rights.  

“The Kataeb party complies with principles and after the August 4 Explosion, it could not but resign from the parliament; at least from a moral perspective,” he said.  

Hankach concluded that since the Beirut port explosion, the parliament has had a productivity issue; it had not made a single political, economic, and health achievement, yet the new parliament was sprinkled with dynamism away from oriented politics.