Frem Pushes for an Electoral Law for Both Parliament and Senate to Revive the Taif Agreement

The Chairman of Project Watan’s Executive Board, MP Neemat Frem, announced his intention to submit a draft electoral law governing the election of both Parliament and the Senate, in line with the political movement’s vision.

Speaking during a press briefing at Parliament ahead of the joint committee session, he said: “This meeting is of utmost importance, as it marks the launch of the workshop to draft a new electoral law.”

He continued: “Our vision in Project Watan is clear: a single law governing the election of both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Next week, we will submit a unified draft law covering both chambers, based on a redistribution of seats. The number of MPs would be reduced to fewer than 128, with some of the current seats transferred to the Senate.”

“We propose a Senate composed of 64 members, as stipulated in the Taif Agreement,” Frem explained. “They would be elected through closed lists under a proportional representation system, with a single preferential vote, and would represent all Lebanese sects on a nationwide level.

As for the Chamber of Deputies, it is time to make it non-sectarian, as also stipulated in the Taif Agreement. We would retain the current electoral districts and determine which seats would be transferred to the Senate, leaving 64 seats in the Chamber. This would result in a non-sectarian Parliament elected either by proportional or majoritarian voting, depending on the size of the district (2 to 3 seats), with a single preferential vote.” 

Frem noted that the initial direction is toward proportional representation with a single preferential vote, “but the final decision will be made following a specialized study that considers the unique characteristics of each district.”

He concluded: “Project Watan believes that this law addresses regional development concerns as well as sectarian rights. It also restores the relevance of the Taif Agreement, which has been neglected since 1992. Today, we are called upon to resume its implementation and advance its development.”