Project Watan: Time to seize the opportunity for rescue Decentralization will inevitably impose itself, and the electoral law proposal is commended

Project Watan’s Executive Board held its regular meeting, chaired by MP Neemat Frem and attended by all members. After the discussion of recent developments, the following statement was issued:

• The Board addressed the issue of municipal elections – covering candidacy, voting, and organization – and extended its appreciation to the Minister of Interior, the ministry’s team, and the security apparatuses for the way this electoral event was conducted. They highlighted the Lebanese people’s deep yearning for an elected local authority, which underscores that decentralization will inevitably impose itself. This is essential for municipalities to be equipped to take effective decisions at the local level and to play their vital developmental role in cities and towns, especially in light of the current state of the central power.

• The Executive Board affirmed that the time has come for decisive national decisions. The ABCs of building a state of law are clear, leaving no place for interpretation. It is either the full recognition of state institutions, with exclusive recourse to and reliance on them, or a farewell to the Lebanese state. Therefore, it is imperative to seize this opportunity to rescue Lebanon, restore its sovereign decision-making, set it on the path of recovery, and position it among the ranks of stable nations focused on the interests and future of their people.

• The Board commended the study prepared by Project Watan and submitted by MP Neemat Frem as a modern draft law for electing members of both the Parliament and the Senate. The proposal safeguards balances and ensures direct and equitable representative participation in governance, and takes into account all concerns and aspirations in their full diversity – whether confessional, regional, or political. The Board noted that the draft provides clear and direct answers to decades of reformist observations and demands, most notably: how to distribute seats between Parliament and the Senate, how to establish an electoral system for Senate elections, the criteria for allocating seats across the two chambers, and how to respond to the long-standing demand to establish an Election Supervisory Commission, laying out the Commission’s structure and duties in detail. Moreover, the proposal grants specialized civil society organizations the right to monitor elections under the Commission’s supervision, adopts the use of a magnetic electronic voting card, guarantees a dignified and free voting process for persons with special needs, and outlines the mechanisms for enabling Lebanese expatriates to vote.