Gemayel Urges Electoral 'Uprising', Lebanon 'Neutrality'

Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel on Sunday called for an “uprising” in the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections, as he reiterated his call for “neutrality” in the region.

Speaking at the Legend venue in Nahr el-Kalb at a ceremony to announce Kataeb’s electoral platform, Gemayel described the May 2018 parliamentary polls as “the public opinion’s uprising against mistakes and submission,” urging every citizen to “shoulder the responsibility and hold accountable every politician who believes that people are followers.”

“We will fight our battle until the end, we will not back down and we will win,” Gemayel vowed.

Slamming “those who are insisting on dragging us into conflicts that we have nothing to do with,” the young leaders said “neutrality is the path towards stability and not surrender to arms and violations at the expense of the sovereignty of our state and our independence.”

“We will not accept to back down from Lebanon’s full sovereignty,” he added.

“In addition to neutrality, we have not been afraid to talk about civil marriage, even if the issue creates controversy in the country. Nonmandatory civil marriage should be a right for the Lebanese, the same as women should be granted the right to give citizenship to their children, which should be a human right in Lebanon,” Gemayel added.

He said that “the same as people rebelled on March 14,” 2005, they are asked today to “rise up and hold accountable every politician who has betrayed the cause.”

“Is giving up sovereignty and the martyrs’ sacrifices acceptable? Is flip-flopping in stances and practicing corruption acceptable? Is making light of the economic file acceptable? Is impoverishing people and destroying Lebanon’s environment acceptable?” Gemayel wondered.