The Kataeb Political Bureau held its weekly meeting at the "Independence Museum" in Hareta Sakher, chaired by party leader Sami Gemayel, with the presence of MP Adib Abd El-Masih, who participated in the inauguration of the Martyrs Hall that includes the names of the party’s martyrs, including his father’s name. After a moment of silence, discussions were held on recent developments, resulting in the following statement:
1. Following a series of communications initiated by the Kataeb leadership with various blocs to attempt to unite around a single candidate for the premiership, the Kataeb Party calls on MPs to unite around the nomination of Ambassador Nawaf Salam for the next prime minister, in harmony with the urgent need to appoint an independent figure capable of pulling Lebanon out of its regional and international isolation and saving it from the prevailing destructive approach. The Kataeb Party reiterates its plea to all parliamentary blocs advocating for change to approach consultations with a unified stance, as the country faces a critical juncture where no opportunities can be wasted. The outcomes of the consultations day will carry fateful implications that will determine the future of the country; either Lebanon will have a government free from personal interests and the hegemony of Hezbollah, capable of taking immediate measures to curb the deterioration, or it will remain as it is, leading to uncalculated chaos.
2. The chaos is evident in the living conditions, which have entered an unbearable phase. The Lebanese are enduring blow after blow from a failing and careless authority that has placed their future and the future of their children in jeopardy. Flour is absent, and bread is sold on the black market in some areas. Medicine is scarce, and patients are dying in their homes, unable to afford treatment costs. Fuel prices have spiraled out of control, followed by prices of generators, devouring the salaries of Lebanese who are gradually sinking into darkness. Public administrations are shut down due to a strike by employees, and people's interests are neglected amidst a complete failure by the relevant ministers who are preoccupied with trivial disputes, pricing schedules, and empty threats. Accordingly, the Kataeb Party views the governmental and presidential elections as an opportunity to change how challenges are approached by bringing in skilled reformers who place the interests of Lebanon and the Lebanese above all else, who are transparent with the people and work to lift Lebanon from the abyss it has reached.
3. Following the decision of the Appeals Chamber of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to convict the defendants Hassan Merhi and Hussein Aniessy with life imprisonment for their proven involvement in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and his companions, without any doubt, and in light of the authority taking no executive action against the other convicted individual, Salim Ayyash, who was also unequivocally convicted by the trial chamber as a participant in an act of terrorism and the premeditated murder of Rafik Hariri, nearly two years after his conviction, the Kataeb Party demands that the convicted individuals be informed of the judgment summary and that they be called to surrender themselves. Otherwise, their party leadership must be informed to surrender them immediately to enforce the ruling, thus preventing Lebanon from being classified as a state outside of the rule of law and international norms.
4. The Kataeb Party expresses its strong condemnation of the continued blockade imposed on the investigations into the Beirut port crime file after including the Minister of Finance among the political obstructing parties. At a time when efforts should be made to liberate this ministry from any partisan oversight and not to turn it into a high ministry that uses its seal selectively to obstruct national issues. The behavior of the Minister of Finance indicates a norm that makes the ministry powerful over other ministries, and even over the Prime Minister and the President, extending to the judicial authority, thus violating the principle of separation of powers and undermining the established constitutional independence of the judiciary.
