“I Have High Hopes for the Future”: Gemayel Calls on Expatriates to Be Optimistic

During his visit to Montreal, where he participated in a mass for the repose of the soul of Minister Pierre Amine Gemayel at the Mar Maroun Cathedral, the head of the Lebanese Kataeb Party, Sami Gemayel, delivered a speech in which he said: “This time I came to you carrying great hope for the future. In previous visits, I was looking for words to keep hope alive in your hearts, at a time when the picture was dark, the country was under guardianship, the security and political situations were threatened, and Lebanon was in danger of disappearing. I was trying to find reasons to keep you connected to Lebanon, despite the great weakness of hope. But today, for the first time, I come to Montreal to tell you with confidence that I have great hope for the future, and that we are on the right track. Lebanon is a small country, but it is great with its message and its people, and we must restore its true image and rebuild it to be as we all dream, a country that provides security, work, justice and freedom for its children.”

He added: “The time has come to restore our country and our decision, and build a homeland that resembles us. This opportunity may not be repeated, and here comes your role, the Lebanese living in the lands of freedom, who have known the meaning of responsibility and made the effort to provide a decent life for yourselves and your families. Lebanon today needs you, and needs you to give it a real opportunity for change and reform.”

He continued, stressing that: “In just six months, we are awaiting crucial parliamentary elections, and it is necessary to register our names on the electoral rolls. I know that some are wondering about the feasibility or facing technical difficulties, but it is important to clarify that registration costs nothing and does not entail any loss. If it is impossible to hold elections abroad, everyone who registers their name is automatically included on the deletion lists inside Lebanon, and thus their right to vote remains protected.”

He pointed out that the delay in calling on expatriates to register is due to the party’s keenness to ensure all legal and organizational details, stressing the importance of increasing the number of registered people after the struggle inside Lebanon to establish their right to vote. He explained that the current number of registered people did not exceed “55,000,” while it reached “300,000” in 2022, considering this decline to be a dangerous matter that could be exploited as a pretext to deprive expatriates of participation or to reduce their influence in the upcoming elections.

He concluded his speech by saying: “The May 2026 elections represent a real opportunity to renew political life in Lebanon. We do not want everything in the country to change and the parliament to remain as it is, as real change begins there. Lebanon has changed, society has changed, faces have changed, and the time has come for the parliament to change as well, in order to reflect the will of the Lebanese and their aspirations towards a modern state governed by transparency and justice.”