The leader of the Kataeb party, Samy Gemayel. Photo taken from his X account.
MP Samy Gemayel, president of the Kataeb party, warned against discussing changes to the Lebanese political system while Hezbollah maintains its control over the state and government. He advocated for unifying pro-sovereignty forces to confront the Iran-backed party.
“It is necessary to free the country from this hegemony before talking about any changes, which would only deepen divisions among Lebanese,” Gemayel said in an interview published Wednesday by An-Nahar newspaper. He added that “no change can be made without Hezbollah’s approval” and that “decentralization or federalism cannot solve the problem of weapons outside state control.”
Gemayel also called for “unifying pro-sovereignty forces” to counter Hezbollah, which “must understand that Lebanese refuse to live as second-class citizens.” He advised against opposing the party along sectarian lines, noting that such opposition labeled as a Christian-Shiite conflict would be disastrous for both communities.
As a staunch opponent of Hezbollah, Gemayel criticizes the party for holding weapons outside state control and blocking the presidential election in Lebanon since October 2022. “What matters to Hezbollah is maintaining its control over Lebanese political life, whether through a president or in a presidential vacuum if it suits them,” he stated.
Regarding the arrest of former Lebanese Central Bank governor Riad Salamé last Thursday on financial misconduct charges, Gemayel remains cautious. “I am not convinced that this political class, which has benefited so much from Salamé’s services, is serious about seeking accountability,” he noted.