Gemayel Slams Ruling Class, Warns against Hiking Taxes to Fund Wage Scale

Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the country's ruling class, accusing it of impotence and of stealing public money.

“Kataeb is worried over the situation we're going through and we're concerned about the country and its stability,” said Gemayel at a press conference.

“We have reached a critical juncture and the deadline for calling the electoral bodies to prepare for elections has passed and all the choices ahead are bad,” Gemayel warned.

“The ruling class agreed on splitting gains and passing the oil decrees while a vision for Lebanon's future was not among their priorities, that's why we are before a dilemma and a real threat to the country,” he noted.

He was referring to the coalition government that was formed after the election of President Michel Aoun.

“It turned out that each group in the government is still clinging to its viewpoint on arms and stability and that there is no agreement on an electoral law. They are still searching for a mechanism that enables them to return to power and monopolize power,” Gemayel lamented.

“There is negligence and carelessness regarding the state budget. The extension (of parliament's term) and the failure to pass an electoral law have become trivial things for them and once again Lebanon is appearing as a state that does not respect law,” Kataeb's chief decried.

“The Lebanese people is a small detail for the ruling class and the Cabinet that has been convening for two months now does not regard the electoral law as one of its priorities,” added Gemayel.

“We hear about bilateral and tripartite meetings as if the electoral law is a national security secret,” he went on to say.

And urging people to hold the ruling class accountable in the upcoming parliamentary elections, Gemayel called for the election of “individuals who have the spirit of change and a high ethical level.”

Gemayel also warned that any attempt to impose new taxes would be an “extortion” attempt “seeing as the money will end up in the pockets of officials.”

“The new wage scale should be funded through putting an end to the squandering and theft of public money and through introducing real reform and change... not through hiking taxes,” Gemayel emphasized.

He also reiterated his call for holding consecutive meetings at the presidential palace, the parliament or the government's headquarters in order to reach an agreement on a new electoral law, warning against “procrastination.”