The head of the Lebanese Kataeb Party, MP Sami Jemayel, confirmed that "no initiative will succeed if there are not two parties willing to reach an agreement; we, who care about the country, accept consensus." He pointed out that we are faced with two choices: either resistance or submission.
In a press conference, he stated, "We insist on consensus, and they impose their candidate. We accept the principle of reaching a candidate that everyone agrees on, but they refuse and insist on imposition. Thus, we initiated the dialogue simply by withdrawing our candidate and proposing a consensual candidate. We conducted an open dialogue with transparency and suggested solutions to discuss openly. Why do they want us to be in a closed room while imposing their candidate on us?"
He added, "Let them withdraw their candidate and meet us halfway. We have done this before. If Hezbollah truly cares about the country, they should propose another candidate; then we can either choose between the two or go for a third presidential option."
Jemayel observed that those who need guarantees are the Lebanese people and us because what we are asking for is for the state, the institutions, and the Lebanese republic. We defend the rights of the republic and do not ask for anything for ourselves, while they seek guarantees for their weapon.
He questioned the Secretary-General of Hezbollah: "Does he accept that one of his aides says that the opposition is a burden on the country? Can you interpret what 'burden' means? Is this a threat of killing and of May 7? Is this the language with which you want to build a country with others?" He asserted, "We have not used and do not use this language. Our problem is that you threaten and act arrogantly, and you have a militia that violates the constitution."
He concluded, "All we ask for is equality, to be under the roof of law and constitution, and to live peacefully in our country. However, Hezbollah's language will lead the country to places that require a reaction. We are not afraid of them or anyone, but this language must be toned down."
