Bikfaya-Mhaydseh Mayor Nicole Gemayel on Monday declared her full support for President Joseph Aoun as she arrived at the Metn District Office in Jdeideh to take part in the vote for the head of the Union of Metn Municipalities, pledging to usher in a new era of clean governance and reform if elected.

“All we want is to walk out of here and dedicate this win to President Joseph Aoun,” Gemayel told reporters. “We stand with him in the revival of Lebanon, through work, development, and the fight against corruption.”

“We want a country we can be proud of and a state built on the rule of law. They are attacking me because I stand for the law. But we, as people of Metn, will fight to ensure that law and justice prevail.”

She accused her opponents of relying on smear campaigns and misinformation, though she acknowledged such tactics are all too common in Lebanese elections. 

“This is part of every electoral process. The Murr family knows these methods well, and has used them for a long time,” she said.

Gemayel also dismissed reports that some mayors had come under political pressure ahead of the vote.

“What does it mean to pressure municipal heads?” she asked. “How are we supposed to run a campaign if we’re not allowed to reach out to the voters?”

While political tensions run high, Gemayel insisted the contest was not about politics, drawing a distinction between partisan maneuvering and what she described as a grassroots push for development.

“This is not a political battle,” she insisted. “It’s a fight for development, for rightful governance, for real projects, and for rooting out corruption.”

Turning her focus to the current leadership of the Union of Metn Municipalities, Gemayel said the track record of the past two decades speaks for itself.

“The results are obvious. There’s no need to elaborate,” she said. “What we need now is change—together with those who are genuinely committed to it.”

Gemayel concluded by laying out her vision for the future of the union.

“We are facing a major administrative overhaul within the union,” she said. “We will work as one team with all the mayors and put forward a comprehensive development plan for Metn.”