After meeting with the ambassadors of the quintet, the leader of the Kataeb Party, MP Sami Gemayel, stated that "the meeting was lengthy and in-depth, covering all viewpoints as we tried to clarify the Kataeb's perspective and the issue of the presidential elections." He thanked "the five countries for their tremendous efforts, as the ambassadors are trying to find solutions without imposing policies. There is a genuine effort to exit the crisis we are experiencing and to find consensus among the parties to solve the presidential issue."
Gemayel considered that "their approach is highly respectful of everyone's viewpoint and honors Lebanon's sovereignty and the position of every team they discuss with," explaining that "for us as Kataeb, there are two ways to overcome the vacancy: the first way is to apply the constitution by holding consecutive election sessions and electing a candidate by a simple majority. The second way is to reach an agreement through dialogue, either inside or outside the council, on an acceptable candidate who is equidistant from all. Then the deputies would go to the council to translate the agreement into a vote."
He remarked, "Either we resort to voting or adopt consensus and translate it into a vote. The problem is that Hezbollah is obstructing both ways; the party is disrupting the sessions and blocking discussions about other candidates because it insists on its candidate," asking, "Are we expected to surrender? We will not accept a new president imposed on Lebanon by Hezbollah, nor will we accept a spokesperson on behalf of Hezbollah because this harms Lebanon and transforms it into a state subordinate to Iran, dragged into the axis's conflicts, whether political or economic, leading to further destruction."
Gemayel pointed out that "there are many formalities and details, but what matters and is fundamental is whether Hezbollah is ready to abandon its candidate and consider a candidate acceptable to everyone. We do not want to dwell on formalities or dialogue, nor who chairs it, or the shape of the table. The essence is whether the party is willing to meet the Lebanese halfway; the rest are details."
He confirmed that "the ambassadors are making efforts to facilitate the process, but we affirm that all facilitation is mere ink on paper unless there is a public commitment to abandon Sleiman Frangieh." Gemayel continued, stating that "clear words are needed to accept a consensual candidate, which is currently absent because the party is sticking to Frangieh. The question is whether Frangieh would continue his candidacy without the guarantees from Hezbollah and Amal Movement?" He emphasized that "the only thing we will not accept is a proxy deciding our future and our President in every entitlement; they did that last time, and it will not happen today."
