The Kataeb's Political Bureau, chaired by party leader Samy Gemayel, convened for its weekly meeting to discuss the latest national developments, including matters of sovereignty, the ongoing debate over expatriate voting rights, and mounting environmental concerns. Following the session, the bureau issued the following statement:

1. The Political Bureau reaffirms that placing all weapons exclusively under the authority of the Lebanese state is a non-negotiable national priority that cannot withstand further delay, ambiguity, or political maneuvering. This is the essential first step toward restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty and achieving lasting stability.

The Bureau condemns the recent statements made by Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem which it considers a blatant provocation and an unacceptable attempt to intimidate both the Lebanese people and the state. These statements openly defy the will of the Lebanese people and state institutions, as articulated by the President’s inaugural speech, the Cabinet’s ministerial statement, and the state’s commitment to international resolutions, particularly UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement. There is no alternative but to fully comply with the law, without distortion, ambiguity, or rhetorical manipulation.

The Bureau stresses that any attempt to reverse the clock on the issue of arms will not be accepted. It calls on the government and the Prime Minister to respond decisively to this challenge and reiterates its demand for the adoption of an official mechanism, endorsed by the Council of Ministers, to resolve the weapons file within a clear and urgent timeframe.

Such a step is essential to shielding the country from renewed conflict and sparing its people additional hardship. The Kataeb Party insists that Parliament must hold a session, attended by all members of the government, to discuss this critical matter. The exclusion of the legislative authority from a discussion of such national importance represents a violation of the Constitution and an abdication of institutional responsibility.

2. Addressing Speaker Nabih Berri’s refusal to include on the Parliament's agenda a proposal to abolish the six-seat quota reserved for expatriates on the legislative agenda, the bureau considers that the issue goes beyond timing, pointing to a broader and systematic denial of full constitutional rights to Lebanese abroad.

Since the current electoral law was passed, the Kataeb bloc has rejected the six-seat quota on the grounds that it discriminates against non-resident Lebanese and deprives them of the right to vote for all 128 Members of Parliament. In 2018, the party submitted a clear and comprehensive draft law aimed at abolishing this quota and guaranteeing equal voting rights to all Lebanese citizens. To date, this proposal has yet to be scheduled for discussion in any parliamentary session.

The party warns that continued refusal to even discuss the matter threatens to effectively disenfranchise expatriates in upcoming elections and perpetuates the same cycle of exclusion they have long endured. These are the very same Lebanese citizens who were punished by the corrupt political establishment, which stole their savings and shattered their trust in their homeland. Now that same system seeks to politically marginalize them by curbing their ability to influence Lebanon’s recovery.

The Kataeb Party reaffirms its full committed to its fight for equal representation and will continue pushing for legal reforms that guarantee electoral equality for all Lebanese, at home and abroad.

3. The Kataeb Party voices alarm over a recent decision by the Ministry of Environment to raise the height of the Bourj Hammoud-Jdeideh landfill by an additional 2.5 meters. This move violates basic environmental and public health standards.

The Kataeb Party was the only political force to oppose the creation of the landfill from the beginning, going so far as to resign from the government in protest.

The continued reliance on short-term fixes to Lebanon’s waste crisis must end.

The bureau calls for the urgent development of a comprehensive, sustainable national waste management strategy. It urges the government to place the issue on its agenda to address the matter seriously and conclusively, and to endorse an integrated environmental approach that balances public health with national interest, reduces waste, and ultimately resolves this long-standing crisis in a responsible and permanent way.