Leader of the Kataeb Party MP Sami Gemayel revealed that he informed the French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian that the Kataeb will not nominate any new candidate for the presidency.
Gemayel added that it is Hezbollah’s responsibility to withdraw their candidate and stop imposing their logic by refusing to engage in the process of choosing new candidates and presenting them, while the other side insists on its choice. He said, “this is enough; we have taken a step, and it is now their turn to take another.”
Gemayel made these remarks during the handover ceremony that took place at the Ain al-Kharroubeh party division between Naim Gemayel and Melhem al-Sayyah.
The head of the Kataeb considered “the current battle to be broader than the presidential position and individual names. It is a battle to prevent Hezbollah’s control over the country today, whether through the presidency, the Cabinet, laws, decisions of peace and war, our way of life, or the face of the country.”
“In order to break the deadlock after months of paralysis, we initiated contacts in an attempt to select a candidate capable of breaking the alignments. We reached out to all parties that reject Hezbollah’s candidate for the presidency until we converged on the nomination of [former Minister of Finance] Jihad Azour, who received 59 votes, a little more than half the total votes, which is considered a significant victory,” he added.
Gemayel pointed out that submission to Hezbollah in the past led to the destruction and bankruptcy of Lebanon, and today we have a real opportunity to stop this downward path.
“Have we become second-class citizens in Lebanon? Should the group that rejects Hezbollah’s project in Lebanon, comprising Christians and non-Christians, surrender the control of the country? If this applies to the presidency today, it will apply to the Cabinet, legislations, and our entire way of life and decisions. Will we surrender or say no, starting from this battle?”
Gemayel concluded by saying that the Kataeb stood against this project alone, despite the campaigns launched against them, and never compromised their principles and convictions. He considered that their firm positions stem from not submitting to any side and not engaging in corruption, and this is something they should be proud of.
