Electoral Program

We Were…And We Shall Remain… Here!

Towards the Civic State

A Roadmap to save the Republic

Driven by good intentions, good will, and the patriotic and ethical sense of responsibility.

Applying the lessons learned from our experiences, most important among them is that the sectarian system will not grant a ruling majority to any side or component, while it can, at any time, obstruct the will to reform and rise with the state, despite having provided this will with a historically unprecedented parliamentary bloc of 29 MPs, a large ministerial representation, and an exceptional president.

Intent and looking forward to propose radical solutions to the crisis and its causes, which have threatened the nation’s existence, whether due to its dangerous repercussions on co-existence and stability, or due to its destructive effects on the life of citizens, or how it has hit the state and its governing role in terms of structural corruption, followed by a paralysis, and then a collapse followed by dissolution, which obstructs responses, denies initiatives, nullifies effectiveness, and dismisses accountability.

Committed until the end to combat corruption, reform the state, protect the rights of depositors, and serve justice in the port blast.

Assuring our deep faith in the culture of peace and dialogue, and rejecting violence in all forms, and stressing on who we are as a sovereign movement that does not accept that the outside will decides the future of our country for us, which is what we warn of in case we fail to agree on a system that can survive, one which rebuilds the citizens’ trust in their state, stops the bleeding through migration, and re-incentivizes the youth to build their future in their land and country.

Starting with the Lebanese National Pact, and continuing the implementation of its reform terms, and committed to follow through with the draft laws we had proposed, and proposing new ones that cover all the topics and titles in this program, and putting them up to general debate in order to form the widest national consensus around them.

1. On Developing the System and Aiming for the Civic State

   Due to the failure of the sectarian regime, and the Free Patriotic Movement’s desire to develop the system and modernize the state in order for it to become a fully-fledged civic state, which is ruled by law, provides equality, establishes true citizenship, and protects individual rights. We announce and commit wholly and comprehensively to the following:
   1. Establishing expanded administrative and financial decentralization.
   2. Endorsing a unified civil personal status law.
   3. Developing a new electoral law based on proportionality in expanded districts.
   4. Electing of a senate with actual legislative powers to deal with the existential issues of the country.
   5. Closing the constitutional gaps and addressing imbalances, and seriously considering the proposal of electing the president of the republic through a direct popular vote over 2 rounds, while boosting the president’s powers.
   6. Upgrading the system starting with completing the implementation of the National Pact, and establishing new bylaws for parliament, and internal bylaws for the cabinet.
   7. Establishing a holding fund that owns and manages the state assets in a way that guarantees the proper investment of its resources, wealth, and facilities while providing the deserved quality and effective services to citizens.

2. On national sovereignty and protecting Lebanon

   1. Protecting the sovereignty of the state, free national decision making, and full independence are fundamental basics, that are translated through the imposition of state authority through the Lebanese Army and security forces over its entire territory, the protection of its borders, and preservation of its national rights and resources. In order to protect Lebanon, a defense strategy that preserves our right to self-defense must be passed and it should come as a result of a wide national dialogue and agreement, and must have the state as its primary implementer.
   2. Committing to the right of return for all Palestinian refugees, and rejecting their naturalization in Lebanon.
   3. Ensuring the return of the displaced Syrians to their country, and following up on the draft laws that were presented in that regard.

3. On improving the respect of human rights, gender equality, and the protection of vulnerable and marginalized groups

   1. Modernizing Lebanese laws dedicated to the protection of public and individual rights, and giving the necessary attention to the third generation of human rights and what they include in terms of social and economic development rights, the right to a healthy environment, the right to natural resources, the right to participate in cultural heritage, the right to sustainability and generational balance, in addition to respecting the individual’s reproductive and sexual freedoms.
   2. Reassuring that the independence of the judiciary and its immunity lead the way to the establishment of the justice and law state, and are a precondition for it to carry out its job in achieving justice and preserving rights.
   3. Reinforcing both participation and presence of women in politics and economy through:
      • Increasing the representation of women in parliament by passing a temporary women’s quota law.
      • Spreading the culture of gender diversity at all levels, and removing all social and cultural hurdles that hinder it.
      • Including the concept of gender in educational curricula to improve the culture of equality.
   4. Ensuring the rights of persons with special needs, especially their right to live an independent life, inclusion in the community, and the right to education, health, professional training, and the right to work and make a proper living.
   5. Protecting children’s rights, led by the right to education, recreation, providing a supportive environment and healthcare, and acknowledging their roles as active members in all fields.
   6. Preserving the rights of retirees and passing the pension law.
   7. Stressing that, in both the cases of Palestinian refugees and displaced Syrians, Lebanon remains committed to the humanitarian standards of providing what it can in terms of basic livelihood and social needs, taking into consideration the prioritization of its own citizens’ needs.

4. On financial recovery and economic and social reform

   1. Presenting a financial recovery plan that leads to a fair distribution of losses, built on the basis of a forensic audit and on bringing back smuggled and stolen funds, capital control, and the public release of the bank statements of all who deal in public affairs.
   2. Restructuring the banking sector in order for it to perform its role in investment and production, rather than borrowing and consumption, and reconsidering the banking secrecy system in a way that provides transparency, declaration, and combatting tax evasion and money laundry.
   3. Endorsing a fair and balanced income tax system, that is based on incremental taxation and single taxation for households, which protects those with limited income.
   4. Restructuring the national economy and its environment, for it to become truly free, productive, competitive, and humanized, in order to re-establish the middle class and incentivize small and medium enterprise.
   5. Improving the balance between economic sectors, agriculture, industry, commerce, tourism, services, and knowledge economy, especially in the fields with high added value, including diverse agriculture and environmental and religious tourism.
   6. Supporting a comprehensive energy plan that provides electricity in a sustainable manner without burdening the state with any deficit, and involving the municipalities in its production, distribution, and the collection of income, and depending on natural gas and renewable energy sources to reduce cost. In addition to providing potable and irrigation water through the building of dams, preservation of groundwater, a sewage system, and also the extraction of Lebanon oil and gas resources from land and sea, and establishing oil facilities to put Lebanon on the Euro-Mediterranean oil map.
   7. Endorsing a comprehensive transportation plan that includes the development and modernization of the road network, establishing a railway network, and building specialized airports, in addition to a touristic port, a maritime transportation network, and advanced border crossings.
   8. Developing a social safety net and universal healthcare while unifying the social security providers and adopting the medical card.
   9. Developing the educational system, and supporting education and its quality, adopting the education card and including programming in curricula.
   10. Preserving the environment and solving the pollution and solid waste problems, and incentivizing the green economy that protects the environment and natural resources. Also preserving and investing in the cultural and architectural heritage, and in archaeological and historic sites.
   11. Improving governance, adopting transparency, and passing the laws needed to establish that. In addition to stopping waste and trimming public administration and shutting down the ministries and institutions that are not productive.
   12. Applying the competition and anti-monopoly law, and passing consumer protection laws, and incentivizing the national food industry.