The President of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir JaJa, expressed his sorrow over the situation in Gaza after announcing the results of the party's executive committee. He stated, "There is hell open in Gaza and we are in solidarity with its people, and we will continue all our efforts to prevent Lebanon from entering the same hell." He affirmed that "the highest position in the Forces is not the party president, but rather a fighting member," adding: "If the government does not take responsibility for what is happening at the borders, we must act through the Parliament to urge it to fulfill its duties."
Elections
Samir JaJa cast his vote in the elections for the party's executive committee at the mega center in Maarab around 1 PM. After voting, JaJa noted that he preferred not to comment on the specifics of the electoral process for now and would wait until it concluded and the results were announced, where he would deliver a speech in the presence of all candidates around 7 PM. JaJa, who called on all members to participate in this party event and cast their votes, said, "I was surprised by the turnout rate, which has reached about 50 percent so far, as I did not expect such a robust participation in the party elections."
In response to a question about the aura of Samir JaJa among the Forces members that might prevent anyone from competing against him, JaJa emphasized that the notion of "lack of courage" that some people suggest is "not true at all," as the members of the Forces have repeatedly shown they are not lacking in bravery and courage and do not fear anything. Instead, there is a conviction among everyone on the necessity of Samir JaJa continuing as the party's president in these elections, a conviction that is not based on narrow considerations but rather on personal diligence in managing the party and taking many measures, in addition to the experience built over 40 years, which has yielded the best results. The members recognized the importance of this continuity—is this a mistake? Thus, this is democracy in itself.
Results
The election day in Maarab for selecting members of the executive committee in the Lebanese Forces concluded. A total of 18,321 members voted out of 31,000, representing a turnout of 58.9 percent. The party's Secretary General, Emil Makrzel, announced the results, which were as follows: Party President: Samir JaJa. Vice President: George Adwan. For the diaspora elected: Joseph Jbeili. For Beirut elected: Daniel Spirou. For Mount Lebanon elected: Eddie Abi Lma, Maya Zghreni, and Tony Karam. For the North elected: Antoine Zahra, Wahbi KatiSha, and Eli Kiroz. For Baalbek elected: Bashir Matar and Michel Tanoury. For the South elected: Asaad Said.
