Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel on Monday deemed the upcoming parliamentary elections as crucial, saying that the goal is to form an opposition leadership that accompanies people at home and abroad in a bid to achieve change.

 

“The upcoming electoral battle will determine our future and will constitute a real opportunity to build a new Lebanon with people who do not compromise and do not surrender,” Gemayel said during a meeting he held with the students’ office of the Northern Metn in the Kataeb Party, in the presence of the Kataeb candidate for the Maronite seat in Metn district Elias Hankache.

 

He also outlined the economic and social situation the country is going through, deeming the upcoming electoral process as a battle as it will determine the Lebanese’ future.

 

“Many have discovered although belatedly, the truth of what the Kataeb party has been warning against even before 2018. The promises made to the Lebanese were not real, but they ended up with the destruction of the country,” he said.

 

“We, as the Kataeb party pledged to be witnesses to the truth ,to confront, to oppose and not give up, no matter the difficulties, and all those who vote for us and our allies can be assured that we will not compromise on our principles because the voice of the Kataeb is a guaranteed voice that cannot be placed in the bazar of political compromises,” he noted.

 

“Whoever elected an ally and candidate of Hezbollah knew that he was handing over the presidency to Hezbollah and we were the only ones who refused to elect him because we stick up to the principles of sovereignty and independence and the rule of law and we reject the existence of any illegal weapon on Lebanese territory as we stick to pluralism and our project that stressed neutrality and decentralization, which are the only principles that can build a better country,” he affirmed.

 

“The first goal after winning the elections would be to topple the majority out of Hezbollah and delegitimize it. The second goal is to create an independent and balanced force in the Parliament that has a great impact and leads the opposition on behalf of the people who gave it their votes, keep pace with their movement and be the legitimate interlocutor with the outside world, through this equation change could be achieved,” he added.

 

Gemayel stressed that the party is working on the basis of an integrated project whose first version was presented in 2009 and the second in 2018 and this year the party will present a new version carrying further development of the project in line with the latest developments.

 

“In the Kataeb party there is no leader and individuals, it is an institution that makes fateful decisions by secret vote in the political bureau and that includes candidates for parliamentary elections. I call on young people to stick to democracy in the party and the principle of holding the leadership accountable if the principles are betrayed because the Kataeb follow the cause and not the people so the party will continue for many years and for future generations,” he emphasized.

 

For his part, Resigned Kataeb lawmaker Elias Hankache stressed that the biggest goal is to assure a future for the Lebanese youth so they don't have to migrate to achieve their dream or live in dignity.

 

“Nothing is impossible and the most important thing in the country is you, the youth and we can't achieve anything without your determination despite the challenges you are facing,” said.

 

"Lebanon is at a crucial crossroads, so either we succeed in building a country or we fail and May 15will prove that the Kataeb party has its fixed positions," he noted.

 

Head of Kataeb Students Youth in Metn Abdallah Jabbour deemed May 15 as a fateful day, saying that it will mark the beginning of the solution and the end of this authority in a bid to build the country people dream of.