Project Watan Calls for Negotiations to Avoid War and End Ambiguity in Expat Voting

The Executive Board of Project Watan held its weekly meeting, chaired by MP Neemat Frem and attended by all members, to discuss the latest developments in Lebanon and the region. The following statement was issued afterward:

“1- The Executive Board reviewed the repeated and escalating Israeli threats and affirmed that Lebanon should strive to avoid another war through negotiation. In this context, the Board commended the efforts of the Lebanese President and also recognized Egypt’s role in laying a solid foundation for negotiations, given its extensive experience in this field and the positive outcomes of its recent efforts in Gaza.

2- The Board stressed that resolving the issue of expatriate voting and ending the debate over its mechanism has become a national necessity, as the current ambiguity has negatively affected the number of registered voters abroad. It is therefore essential to announce the final adopted mechanism and to extend the registration period to ensure the broadest possible participation with full transparency.

3- The Board praised the work of the Minister of Finance and his team in preparing a six-billion-dollar budget notable primarily for being deficit-free – a positive and encouraging step that can be built upon. However, the Board expressed surprise at the continued absence of national and comprehensive solutions to the financial crisis. Participants noted that placing Lebanon on the blacklist, according to the circulating information, would further damage its international and economic standing, deepen citizens’ suffering, and threaten to halt banking transfers – pushing Lebanon entirely into a black economy and placing it among failed states in practice, not merely in rhetoric.”