The head of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Ja'ja, launched the electoral campaign on the anniversary of "March 14" from the party's headquarters in Ma'arab, in the presence of members of the Strong Republic bloc, the party's candidates, and supporters. Following the national and Forces anthems, Ja'ja delivered a speech inspired by the occasion, starting with the words: “When the homeland is threatened, identity is at stake, institutions are kidnapped, the constitution is almost suspended, and when the people are destitute, hunger knocks on their doors, and half of the youth have emigrated while the other half is at the embassies' doors; when Beirut explodes but they prevent the truth from emerging; when the savings of a lifetime are stolen without repercussions for the thief; when rights become silence and wrongdoing becomes rampant; when Lebanon transforms into a dim beacon, a forgotten news, and inevitable downfalls, then parliamentary elections become an existential battle, not just a political one, and thus 'Such battles were created only for the Lebanese Forces.'”
Ja'ja affirmed that "our battle today is a battle for existence. Either we preserve what remains of Lebanon and restore what we have lost or witness its obliteration; either we maintain what remains of freedom and together restore a homeland of freedoms, or we all return to the great prison; either we preserve what remains of sovereignty or we officially turn into a province of a republic that bears no resemblance to our civilization, history, or values; either we build a new state or the remnants of this decaying state will collapse upon us, and then regret will be of no use."
He observed that there are "people who can build a state but do not want to," as they can because they possess the size, capabilities, presence, and organization; however, the state doesn't suit them since it contradicts their fundamental project of lawlessness, weaponry, and corruption. On the other hand, there are people who want to build the state "but cannot," and they know that the state alone is the project of salvation, but they cannot achieve it because they lack organization, presence, capabilities, and have a fragmented mindset with limited strength. Thus, between these and those, between those who can but do not want, and those who want but cannot, remains "we the Lebanese Forces who want and can."
Ja'ja emphasized that "the Lebanese have three options in the upcoming elections: the option of those who want the state but cannot build it, the option of those who do not want the state but can continue to obstruct its establishment, and the option of those who want the state and can build it." He urged all Lebanese to vote for the third option, the correct choice: "the Lebanese Forces," noting that "the first option bears the slogan 'all means all,' while the second option is 'we govern Lebanon by force and oppression,' while the third option's slogan is 'let's all come together to build a state anew.'"
He stated: "'We want, and we can' is not just an electoral slogan, but a daily act of faith practiced by the Forces, stemming from their performance, program, and vision from 2005 to the present." He considered that "the Forces have shown in recent years that they have only one project, which is the state," and continued: "Does the Lebanese Forces want it? Yes, certainly more than any other day, striving for the state project. Can the Lebanese Forces achieve it? Yes, through their capabilities, organization, programs, relationships, and the belief of their supporters in their cause, but that can only happen if you vote for them and grant them the mandate."
He added: "Along with the three options I mentioned, there is a fourth category—thankfully it has been exposed and the people have judged it in the streets, as will happen in the elections as well. This is the class of deception, the 'those who do not want but cannot.' And surely you know who they are. They have claimed for 30 years that they are 'the reform, the change,' and that they represent salvation, strength, and the promised dream. They are the same people who reached power, and we later discovered that 'for sure, all of this was deceitful, they want neither nor can.' All they wanted to do and have accomplished is 'cleaning' the state to its last penny and filling their pockets."
He pointed out that "it is no coincidence that this call comes on the anniversary of March 14," on this day that proved that nothing is impossible in this world, and that spring in people's lives is stronger than the black clouds. On this day which was the dawn of freedom, "but it is still waiting for its day to continue," on this day that marked the beginning of the restoration of sovereignty, waiting to be completed. Therefore, March 14 remains the cornerstone of our occasions, the holiest of all, and the foundation of our policies; this day is still alive within us, despite their attempts to assassinate it on February 14 and to bury it on May 7 to ensure its death through all their odious practices, but March 14 did not die and will not die."
He added: "We say this so that the Lebanese know that if they do not move on May 15 in the right direction, with the required momentum, and with the final decisive will for change, it is possible to remain in this infernal tunnel for many years, potentially more than 15 years. Therefore, it is possible that we might lose what remains, God forbid."
He affirmed that "the people of March 14 are still the same, uninterested in selling or buying, steadfast in their national sovereignty stances, and they are the focal point of March 14 and the spirit of the Cedar Revolution." He continued: "O people of March 14, on the 17th anniversary of the March 14 Revolution, we cannot help but salute the Ukrainian people for all the sacrifices and heroism they demonstrate on their land, which stands as the living example of how the army and people unite in resistance in its true and correct form, where the state organizes and manages popular resistance that began with the occupation and not before it—not as happens in Lebanon where resistance arms compete with the state, paralyzing its path 'as it pleases.'"
He viewed "March 14 as a prelude to October 17," and stressed that "the Lebanese people have a significant opportunity here to make May 15, 2022, a continuation of March 14, 2005, and a culmination of October 17, 2019, and we must not miss this opportunity."
To the Lebanese, Ja'ja said: "You are invited to transform May 15 into an electoral March 14, in the sense of freedom, sovereignty, and independence. You are invited to turn May 15 into an electoral October 17, in the sense of a revolution against corruption, waste, mismanagement of the state, and its chaos. You are invited on May 15 to seek justice for the blood of Bashir, Kamel, Rene, Rafik, Basel, Samir, George, Gibran, Pierre, Walid, Antoine, Wissam, and Muhammad, and Hashim, and Lokman, and for the pains of Marwan and Mai, and all the martyrs of the cause who fell for Lebanon to remain."
Ja'ja addressed the Lebanese once again, saying: "The Lebanese Forces are the most like you; they are 'from you and in you...'" He concluded: "We want it if you want it, we can if you are with us, and together we can restore Lebanon. On May 15, we want to give birth to a new Lebanon; on May 15, we can create a new Lebanon."
