Sami Gemayel announces his candidacy in the Northern Metn district: We do not believe in a Christian-Sunnite project or Christian-Shiite one, but we do believe in a Christian-Christian project only.
3 Apr. 2009

The Coordinator of the Kataeb Central Committee, Sami Gemayel, held a press conference at 4:30 at Le Royal, in Dbayeh on Friday. Gemayel started off his speech by stating that this meeting has made him remember the past, which has included 12 years of struggle, and reminded him of how they burned the Syrian flag, and how they sprayed the candidate’s pictures in Lebanon.

Gemayel added “It made me remember how we climbed on poles, hills, buildings, and the highest locations, to stick pictures for the former President, Amin Gemayel, before he came back from exile. It made me remember confrontations with the security forces in universities during the Syrian occupation with the youths of the sovereign movement.”

He stated as well that these actions made him remember when they set up the first tent in Martyr's Square, which led to many other tents being placed at the Martyrs Square in Beirut. “It brought back flashes linked to the Lebanese entity and Lebanon as a whole, and how we will live as Lebanese citizens in peace finally, after years of occupation and foreign control.”

“ We were thinking; my companions and I, how we can resolve the deep Lebanese problem and regarding this matter, I can’t forget the moment when I knew what happened with my beloved brother, Pierre Gemayel, in Jdeideh at 3:30pm, and all the harsh and sad period we passed through after this incident,” Gemayel added.
Gemayel stated that he can’t disregard and not remember his first entry to the Party's Headquarters, which became his second home. He added that all these experiences made his ideas, his beliefs, and his principles, which he is highly committed to today, tomorrow and till the last day of his life.

Gemayel said, “We lived the true unity state among students with all its beauty, its clarity, and the period in which everything was crystal clear, even our enemy. Thus, I can see clearly the difference between the two stages, the stage of struggle, and the life full of division and political ambiguity.”

The first thing Gemayel wants and demands for, is to bring back to mind the cause and the reason that they are defending for, and he wants to make clear the issue of the ambiguity of the last phase.

“We have a dream, a dream of a real, civilized, and developed country, where a human being has rights. This is the only thing that we truly want and desire.” He added, “Before having the state that we dream of, we shall have a normal state. The normal state needs pure stability and security, and no normal state accepts to have on its territories an Army other that its own national Army.”

Gemayel stated that in Lebanon, a Palestinian Army exists and brings along its own policy on a fraction of these Lebanese territories. He applied that a national army that has an authority spread over another part of the Lebanese territories, and Lebanese groups who have no relation with the Army, is present on a fraction of the Lebanese territories today.

He affirmed that arms in the hands of the Official Lebanese authorities are “neither normal nor accepted.”
“The Syrian occupation was a reality bigger than the illegitimate arms. However, it didn't stop us from claiming our own rights. A fact is for sure, that nothing can stop us from rejecting this reality,” he added.

Gemayel stressed on the fact that he is with any party has supports and wants the welfare of Lebanon. “We are with and we support every party to have its beliefs and its own vision to Lebanon's future, but no party has the right to impose its opinion on others in Lebanon by force, especially when threatening and using its arms as a power force.”

Regarding the political stability issue, Gemayel’s response was “Any normal and democratic state must have rotation of power by all means of elections, which results in an outcome of a parliament that forms a government and a majority, and royalties. There is neither a majority nor a minority in Lebanon that wants to be fully represented in the government. Thus we do not know who will account or observe.”

“The country is built on the concept of consensus which contradicts with the concept of democracy because consensus and democracy can't be combined together. This system does not work and its results were wars, disruption, and crisis. The disruption began in 1958 then in 1975 and 1990,” he added.
Gemyael asked “When shall we realize that it is time to think of a new way to manage the country and to solve the country's crises?”
He stated that they know the problem and they have the courage to state what it is. He identified problem by stating that it is due to the political system in Lebanon that put the Lebanese in confrontations with each other.

“The Lebanese system that the Kataeb Party calls upon is to be re-established and well-developed. It is time for the parliament to start working hard on this issue. Our part will be delivered completely; we will present solutions and proposals by the Kataeb candidates who will win in the upcoming elections.” Gemayel stated.
Gemayel regarded and emphasized that the economic stability is not normal and drove the world to financial crisis. However, it did not affect Lebanon because the country is below zero and asked whether it can decrease more than it is now.

He stated that “The economic stability is the result of a security state and leads as well to political stability. The first condition for achieving a positive and a healthy economy is security and political stability, before focusing on projects and reforms.” He added saying, “Due to such a stage in Lebanon, after the crisis we have passed through, corruption has led Lebanon to billions of dollars debt by Paris 1, 2, 3. These billions are being pilfered. However, what funds can Lebanon benefit from if there was no economic planning, or the responsible figures were not being observed?”

Regarding the issue of the electoral campaigns by some and the actions that are being taken, Gemayel stated that the funds which are being used as ballot boxes for some parties, has created an influence on the Lebanese citizens to use this opportunity to ask and beg from their leaders for their rights to live a normal life.
Gemayel added “Who has the right to recompense those who fled? They are not being able to achieve compensation, for they must beg for their rights. This issue as well combines those who need electricity and water. All this chaos, results from the fact that all that are in power, are taking the shares and other funds for their own personal interest. These funds are being shared between the responsible figures of this issue.”

Regarding social stability, he also affirmed that the Lebanese are classified between first and second class, as well as martyrs who are classified as martyrs of first or second class.

“Some martyrs' families are being rewarded for their loss but not others. Some martyrs are officially declared as martyrs in a time when thousands of martyrs who died while defending Lebanon and are part of our families and comrades, do not have the same rights and respect of the other martyrs. These innocent martyrs have sacrificed their lives because they defended Lebanon from the Syrian and Palestinian occupiers.”

He brought up the matter of the past, during the wars in Lebanon that there are some Lebanese that the Lebanese state has abandoned during the 80's or even before, as a result, they fled to Israel, and some were forced to flee because they were born in Israel. Gemayel asked, “Can we say that they are agents if they were forced to go and live there, and condemn them as agents?”

Gemayel stressed that there is no social stability if some Lebanese groups have rights that others do not have, or when a group has arms in its hands, and uses this as a power to go down to the streets to impose its opinion and beliefs on others.

He related this issue in regards to the fact that there are some regions where the Lebanese army cannot access and have been threatened that if they do, they will be murdered. “Regarding this issue, some camps where fights arouse, prove that they have and hold their own illegal arms in order to fight those that approach their territories. What point did we reach in the case of the Officer, Hanna that was murdered in Sujud?” Gemayel asked.

Gemayel stressed on the fact of equality, “How will we feel equality and build true patriotism without feeling comfortable with each other, and contentment? This is our country, even if they don't acknowledge our sacrifices and our presence in history books, we have the right to tell our children about them and how we defended the country, and that september 14 should be a day in Lebanon’s history, to be remembered and respected, just as February 14 is.”

Gemayel hoped and wished for a better Lebanon, and emphasized on the fact of all Lebanese powers becoming united and working for the same purpose, for the welfare of Lebanon. In this way, and such an approach, Gemayel believed that this is how a normal state works. “We haven't spoken yet about our dreams, this is the minimum for a decent life in our country. This is a part of our project and there is another part of similar importance which is Christians' unity, and the full return to all institutions. As much as we believe in the Lebanese state and what this country symbolizes, Lebanon cannot exist without the presence of Christians,” he added.

Gemayel stated that 4 years ago, Christian’s unity was possible. Therefore he demanded to go back to the historical principles and constants of Christians. He added “We do not believe in a Christian-Sunnite project or Christian-Shiite one, but we do believe in a Christian-Christian project only, and Christians unity is the solution for what is currently happening or what often happens, and as long as they are serving foreign agendas they won't be able to play a unified role in the country.“

He stated that they should go back to their principles and hold each others hands to fight against corruption, with all their allies. He stated that corruption cannot be eliminated from outside the country. Regarding the issue of naturalization, he advised the same process to be taken, stating that “If we want to fight against naturalization, we should go back and refer to the institutions, the parliament and the government, because chaos leads to naturalization and paves the way to security depths.”

Gemayel stressed the fact that Christians' unity is necessary and is their duty because when they were fighting against each other, none of them won any battle. He stated that they won't give up on their principles as well as the dialogue between them.

Regarding the upcoming elections, Gemayel hoped and demanded that the elections should be democratic. “We don't want hatred. What we truly want is dialogue and sharing our ideas and beliefs,” adding that the citizens are the ones to decide for themselves.

As for the role of a deputy, Gemayel stated that a deputy’s job is to think, analyze, present projects, refuse draft laws that do not serve Lebanon's interest or its region and has a team that helps him in all national issues. A deputy should choose between either offering his services or presenting projects that serve to Lebanon's interest, that’s if he is unable to do both things together at the same time. Gemayel added that “A deputy is not elected to drink coffee and read the obituaries page to convey his condolences.”

Gemayel stated that their role as Kataeb party is to free the deputy from client-ship; such as offering services and asphalting.
Thus, after mentioning all this issues and solutions, we start thinking about regional and municipality units to fulfill these duties. These units must also have a budget and should be subjected to the concept of accountability.

Gemayel started concluding his speech by stating his candidacy in the upcoming elections. “You are now aware of my ideas and plans, and what I will do in the future because I have my convictions and I will not give up the sacrifices of the martyrs, on top of the list my brother Pierre Gemayel.”

Gemayel honored the Nothern Metn citizens and thanked them for their trust and assurance in him. Gemayel said “I believe that an efficient reform must be made in the institutions and the Lebanese state. It is a great honor for me to ask for the trust of the Northern Metn citizens as a candidate of the Maronite seat of northern Metn region.”

In conclusion, Gemayel promised that he will stay loyal to the Lebanese history, the sacrifices, and loyal as Kataeb members in all the Lebanese regions to the efficient reform project led by president Amin Gemayel, the political bureau and Kataeb official figures.

Gemayel’s final word was for the whole Lebanese people to hear, he said “The thousand miles journey has just begun, and we affirm and assure you and tell our martyrs, that our lives and our future are in the service of Lebanon and the Lebanese Christians.”