Project Watan: The Parliamentary Session Eased Some of the Street’s Concerns… What Is Required Is to Put Lebanon First

Project Watan’s Executive Board held its weekly meeting, chaired by MP Neemat Frem, alongside MP Sajih Attieh and in the presence of the members, to discuss the latest political, economic, and social developments.

Particular attention was given to the parliamentary session, which took on special importance as it sought to ease some of the concerns among the Lebanese. However, addressing the causes of these concerns must be done through democratic and calm dialogue, which is at the core of Parliament’s role. This responsibility takes on even greater importance given the difficult circumstances Lebanon is going through, particularly as the country is grappling with sensitive and serious economic, security and social crises. As a result, the session clearly reflected the depth of the political divide over the war and Lebanon’s official role amid the current developments, and may have eased some of the street’s tensions.

After the discussion, the following statement was issued:

• The Executive Board noted that, on the political level, the parliamentary debate reflected two conflicting narratives. The first holds that the involvement of a Lebanese faction in the fighting alongside the Iranian axis dragged Lebanon into wars and crises, brought calamities upon it, and led to the destruction of the South, all of which serves Iran’s national interests, at the expense of Lebanon’s interests. Meanwhile, the second narrative considers that Israeli ambitions toward Lebanon are longstanding and that the Lebanese state has been unable to build sufficient deterrence capabilities, which, according to this view, prompted reliance on a regional axis to confront Israel.

According to Project Watan, this division once again raises the fundamental question of the concept of the state, the state’s exclusive authority over decisions of war and peace, and the imperative of placing Lebanon’s interests first and foremost above all else. The answer to this question lies in a joint project for all Lebanese to build a strong and productive state of institutions, and to adopt a policy of neutrality toward regional axes, backed by national unity and self-reliance, which in itself would ensure Lebanon’s protection and stability.

• As for the livelihood and services-related aspects, which took up a significant part of the discussion, the Executive Board noted the intensity of the debate and the growing hardship faced by citizens across various sectors, particularly electricity and education.

In this regard, two approaches also emerged – one holding the current government responsible for failing to deliver what the Lebanese had expected, resulting in declining confidence in it and disappointment, and another maintaining that this government cannot be held responsible for mistakes accumulated over many years, particularly as it is operating under exceptionally difficult circumstances, foremost among them the continuation of the war for more than eight months, in addition to the rapid rise in global oil prices and its repercussions on supply chains and energy in Lebanon. 

Here, Project Watan considers that the problem goes beyond the current government and stems from an accumulated political and administrative approach. It believes that the priorities today should be to accelerate the involvement of the private sector in improving the level of services, complete administrative appointments with a new, transparent and productive approach, and implement an electricity plan that replaces diesel with natural gas as quickly as possible while facilitating the use of solar panels. These measures are necessary to emerge from many years of accumulated paralysis and hemorrhaging.

• The Board also discussed the framework agreement and efforts aimed at reducing the intensity of the war and halting the destruction. It considered that the session reflected two readings. The first views this course as a means of setting a ceiling on Israeli destruction, protecting state institutions, and affirming that the Lebanese state was not responsible for declaring war on Israel.

Another reading, in contrast, considers that this course constitutes a retreat from Lebanon’s right to confront attacks.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Project Watan’s Executive Board stressed that what is required in the next phase is to strengthen national unity behind the official state institutions and put an end to the cycle of collapse into which Lebanon has been drawn, while also focusing on citizens’ livelihood hardships and accelerating swift, objective solutions. The living situation has begun to signal the prospect of a massive social explosion that could affect what little stability remains in Lebanon and the protection of its entity.