Project Watan: The Parallel Economy Jeopardizes the Entity, and Adapting to Mistakes Kills Resilience

Project Watan’s Executive Board held its weekly meeting chaired by Deputy Neemat Frem and attended by all members. After discussing the latest developments, the following statement was issued:

• The participants reviewed the recent elections that took place in various countries in the region and around the world, some of which occurred amid sharp internal divisions, yet did not prevent the fulfillment of constitutional and national duties. They called on those in charge in the country – currently in a state of vacuum and obstruction – to prioritize the supreme national interest and proceed with electing a president, to avoid reaching a stage where presidential, municipal, and later parliamentary elections, stop being held.
• The participants discussed the efforts aimed at achieving an agreement to stop the fighting in Gaza and estimated that it would have a positive impact on South Lebanon’s front. They also sensed the possibility of a breakthrough in the presidential file if there are breakthroughs in the regional situation. They considered this an opportunity to find the appropriate scenario respecting the Constitution and the constitutional institutions to elect a president.
• The participants warned once again of the danger of deviating towards an illegal economy that is becoming widespread, thereby jeopardizing the entity. They called on all those concerned in official and public positions, as well as in economic, financial, and social sectors, to clearly define the correct direction for our national economy, and to take deterrent measures to prevent the establishment of a parallel economy, which will inevitably lead the country to a darker reality.
• The participants highlighted the resilience of the Lebanese citizens and their ability to withstand the accumulating and huge economic and social crises, which is a mark of their attachment to and love for life. At the same time, the great danger remains in turning this resilience into adaptation, subjugation, and disguised acceptance of what is happening in their daily lives, such as the issue of faltering social protection and Social Security’s conflicts with hospitals, resulting in the absence of the simplest components of medical coverage for citizens, the non-existent basic services in various state administrations, and the electricity issue which, once again, raises questions and concerns. Project Watan calls for changing these abnormal conditions and not adapting to them, as adapting to mistakes kills resilience, society, and the country.