Head of the Lebanese Kataeb Party, MP Samy Gemayel, stated that "the Lebanese state and Hezbollah must abide by the promises made in the presidential oath speech, the ministerial statement, and the ceasefire agreement. We will use every available space, from the Parliament to the Cabinet, to push for a definitive solution to the weapons issue."
In an interview with MTV, Gemayel said: "Hezbollah is stalling the official Lebanese institutions, and it is the duty of the executive authority, whether it's the President, the Prime Minister, or the Cabinet, to put an end to this procrastination by recognizing that the window for dialogue and understanding has passed, and that it is now time to move forward with concrete steps to ensure weapons remain exclusively with the state."
He continued, "I don’t want to get caught up in debates over the powers of the President versus the Prime Minister, as they are one team we all elected together and share joint responsibility. The important thing is to start taking concrete measures because it is clear that Hezbollah is just trying to buy time. We cannot afford to miss this historic opportunity. The decision to confine weapons cannot be tied to the idea of 'consensus,' since the armed party refuses to surrender. Can we keep going along with this situation? The issue isn’t about numbers or formalities, but about a unified decision by the executive authority."
He emphasized, "The issue of weapons is not just an item on the Cabinet’s agenda to be discussed, but a unified decision that must be taken collectively by the official authority."
Gemayel announced that the Kataeb Party will propose four practical steps for the executive authority to immediately implement for all Lebanese citizens in the upcoming government sessions:
- Close all Al-Qard al-Hasan branches as they are illegal, along with any other unauthorized institutions.
- Stop all forms of security coordination between the state and Hezbollah, and dissolve the security committee that previously coordinated judicial decisions, security measures, and other matters in Hezbollah’s areas of influence.
- Set up military and security checkpoints to enforce the law across Lebanon and arrest all weapon bearers.
- Confiscate any weapons stockpiles belonging to any group.
He added, "We are mistaken to try to limit the Lebanese official authority with deadlines and to see the President and Prime Minister as our political allies, while the true obstacle to state-building is the one who must be confronted with a clear decision."
He revealed, "We will begin direct trilateral consultations between the Kataeb Party, the Lebanese Forces, and the Progressive Socialist Party, involving Presidents Aoun and Berri."
In an interview with MTV, Gemayel said: "Hezbollah is stalling the official Lebanese institutions, and it is the duty of the executive authority, whether it's the President, the Prime Minister, or the Cabinet, to put an end to this procrastination by recognizing that the window for dialogue and understanding has passed, and that it is now time to move forward with concrete steps to ensure weapons remain exclusively with the state."
He continued, "I don’t want to get caught up in debates over the powers of the President versus the Prime Minister, as they are one team we all elected together and share joint responsibility. The important thing is to start taking concrete measures because it is clear that Hezbollah is just trying to buy time. We cannot afford to miss this historic opportunity. The decision to confine weapons cannot be tied to the idea of 'consensus,' since the armed party refuses to surrender. Can we keep going along with this situation? The issue isn’t about numbers or formalities, but about a unified decision by the executive authority."
He emphasized, "The issue of weapons is not just an item on the Cabinet’s agenda to be discussed, but a unified decision that must be taken collectively by the official authority."
Gemayel announced that the Kataeb Party will propose four practical steps for the executive authority to immediately implement for all Lebanese citizens in the upcoming government sessions:
- Close all Al-Qard al-Hasan branches as they are illegal, along with any other unauthorized institutions.
- Stop all forms of security coordination between the state and Hezbollah, and dissolve the security committee that previously coordinated judicial decisions, security measures, and other matters in Hezbollah’s areas of influence.
- Set up military and security checkpoints to enforce the law across Lebanon and arrest all weapon bearers.
- Confiscate any weapons stockpiles belonging to any group.
He added, "We are mistaken to try to limit the Lebanese official authority with deadlines and to see the President and Prime Minister as our political allies, while the true obstacle to state-building is the one who must be confronted with a clear decision."
He revealed, "We will begin direct trilateral consultations between the Kataeb Party, the Lebanese Forces, and the Progressive Socialist Party, involving Presidents Aoun and Berri."
