Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel during press conference, March 29, 2023. (Credit: Sami Gemayel via Twitter)
BEIRUT — Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel said Wednesday that Lebanon needs a president that will address the country's "illegal weapons," a clear reference to Hezbollah.
Lebanon has been without a president since Oct. 31, 2022, when Michel Aoun left office. Parliament has held 11 presidential electoral sessions, all of which failed.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Gemayel said the next president should "open the file on [Hezbollah's] weapons."
"There is no country that gets built with two weapons," said Gemayel in a reference to Hezbollah's organized militia, which is unaffiliated with the Lebanese Army. "The issue of illegal weapons should be on the table for discussion and the president should negotiate for the purpose of restoring sovereignty."
Gemayel's statements came after he clashed with Amal MP Ali Hassan Khalil over the organization of municipal elections at Tuesday's parliamentary committee session. It is unclear exactly what was said during their exchange, but Gemayel said the interaction was impolite.
During his Wednesday press conference, Gemayel said he "turned the page" on his incident with Khalil.
"I don't know where [the dispute] could have taken the country," Gemayel added. "Yesterday, we avoided following this dangerous path, but nothing guarantees that such incidents won't happen again, with different results."