The Kataeb Political Bureau held a meeting chaired by the party leader, MP Sami Gemayel. After deliberation, it issued the following statement:
1- The latest session to elect the president of the republic established a series of conclusions that must be noted:
In terms of numbers:
- Firstly, the majority of the Parliament, represented by seventy-seven MPs, said no to the policy of tightening control over the country that Hezbollah has pursued for years to protect its weapons, project, and gains, thereby undermining any partnership with the larger section of the Lebanese people.
- Secondly, it has been proven that Hezbollah's candidate cannot, despite the intimidation and persuasion exerted by the party, gain Christian or national support to continue in the race, which are two sufficient factors to exclude him from the contest.
- Thirdly, Lebanon has gained a significant bloc of fifty-nine MPs who have declared an irreversible stand against the destructive obstinacy that undermines institutions and the constitution, leading the country in a direction unacceptable to its people.
In practice:
- Firstly, the obstruction of institutions and the paralysis of the country have continued since 2006 through protests, armed incursions, and the overthrow of governments until a fait accompli is imposed by force.
- Secondly, constitutional violations continue to control the major electoral milestones and manipulate their results, reducing election sessions to a single session, and promoting the narrative of a bundle of agreements on the presidency and the government before elections, clearly undermining the concept of democracy.
- Thirdly, the door is wide open for legislative practices and government resolutions in the absence of the president, clearly undermining the governance structure in Lebanon.
Given all of this, we find ourselves at the heart of a coup process led by Hezbollah, progressing steadily since the Doha Agreement, through both persuasion and intimidation, often against the will of the Lebanese majority.
1- The Kataeb Political Bureau confirms that this approach will not succeed and that all practices have become exposed, and the new reality of sovereign and national forces will stand as a strong barrier against the seizure of Lebanon.
2- The legislative session held constituted a blatant violation of the constitution when it allowed legislation by a council that is only authorized to meet for the election of a president and permitted it to vote on a project referred by a cabinet that is not entitled to convene as it is in a state of caretaker. The ongoing increase in salaries, despite their justification, has not served the interests of beneficiaries in the past and will not in the future; its only result is the printing of more currency and an increase in inflation, resulting in further price hikes, keeping the economy and living standards in a catastrophic loop, as indicated by the World Bank's data which estimated price increases at 350%, placing Lebanon at the top globally.
The Political Bureau reiterates that the only solution for Lebanon to emerge from its crisis is to pursue genuine structural reforms, which this system does not seem inclined to pursue until it is too late.
3- The Kataeb Political Bureau condemns the statements made by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who undermined any solution leading to the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland during the "Support Syria and the Region" conference in Brussels.
The EU's political trajectory is its own prerogative, but it should not reflect further collapse on host countries, particularly on Lebanon, which bears the largest burden of refugees while grappling with the most dangerous crisis it has ever faced.
The Political Bureau emphasizes that supporting the Syrian people means supporting their desire to return to their land and homeland, not keeping them as refugees in other countries after enticing them with funds that, if spent properly, could have ended the tragedy of their displacement.