Project Watan Calls for a Fair Electoral Law, an Alternative Force to UNIFIL, and Reforms to Restore Trust in the State

Project Watan’s Executive Board held its weekly meeting, chaired by MP Neemat Frem and attended by the members, to discuss the latest local and international developments. The following statement was issued afterward:

• Project Watan considered that the rapid developments on the international scene herald an extremely difficult phase, potentially ushering in weeks and months of considerable complexity. However, these challenges must not serve as a pretext for suspending or postponing domestic reform efforts. On the contrary, they call for intensifying efforts to strengthen Lebanon from within. Among these efforts is the adoption of a fair electoral law that implements the Taif Agreement and upholds its spirit, laying the foundations for a sound political life and a stable, firmly established state capable of protecting the future of its children and safeguarding the rights of new generations.

• The Executive Board warned of the risks arising from the end of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), with no alternative arrangement having been reached to date. It stressed the need to intensify diplomatic efforts to reach an international consensus on an alternative force with a clear mandate and well-defined tasks, thereby strengthening the presence of the Lebanese state, supporting the role of its legitimate institutions, helping safeguard stability, and preventing further escalation of tensions in southern Lebanon.

• With winter approaching, displaced people and families continuing to suffer, and social tensions escalating under the weight of the livelihood crisis, Project Watan affirmed that emerging from this phase of “prolonged waiting” can only be achieved through serious reform measures that break down barriers between citizens and the state and put an end to the re-emergence of manifestations of the deep state, with its attendant institutional paralysis, perpetuation of dysfunction and shortcomings, and decline in transparency and accountability.

Project Watan stressed that national duty requires placing people at the heart of public policies, fighting corruption without exception, and establishing effective and transparent oversight of public administrations, ensuring a fair distribution of resources between citizens and the state while safeguarding the dignity and rights of the Lebanese people.