Beirut – The Lebanese-American Coordinating Committee (LACC) sent a letter to President General Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, commending their efforts “to build a sovereign, free, just, and independent state where the Constitution is fully upheld and the United Nations Security Council resolutions on Lebanon are implemented—foremost among them resolutions 1701, 1680, and 1559.”
The letter stated:
“Lebanon is facing a historic and exceptional opportunity to restore the state, supported by a wave of Arab and international momentum, clearly expressed by U.S. President Donald Trump in his recent speech in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he praised your and the Lebanese government’s commitment to safeguarding sovereignty and implementing reforms.
From our position within the Lebanese diaspora in the United States, we affirm our full and sincere support for the principles outlined in the presidential oath and the ministerial statement—particularly in their constitutional, sovereign, and reformist approaches. We place before Your Excellencies a set of urgent priorities that require swift action amid the profound geopolitical transformations taking place in the Middle East, which position Lebanon to reclaim its historic, civilizational role as a beacon of liberty, justice, diversity, liberalism, creativity, moderation, dialogue, and coexistence.”
The letter continued:
“These pressing priorities that brook no delay can be summarized as follows:
- Establishing a clear timeline to eliminate all illegal and uncontrolled arms, and to fully extend state sovereignty across all Lebanese territory—while appreciating the role of the army and the military and security forces in coordination with UNIFIL.
- Pursuing diplomatic efforts to ensure Israel’s withdrawal from the areas it still occupies in Lebanese territory and returning to the 1949 Armistice Agreement.
- Revitalizing the Lebanese judiciary so it can fulfill its role in combating corruption, issuing the indictment in the Beirut Port explosion case, and referring all corrupt and criminal individuals to justice. A functioning state cannot exist without an independent and effective judiciary.
- Developing a comprehensive reform roadmap for the public sector, economy, and banking system to restore good governance as a guiding compass in service of all Lebanese citizens and to reclaim their long-denied rights.
- Implementing the structural reforms outlined in the Taif Agreement, most importantly expanded administrative decentralization—especially following the initiation of municipal and local elections, as municipalities are the backbone of effective local governance.
- Amending the parliamentary electoral law to restore the right of expatriates and diaspora communities to vote for all 128 Members of Parliament, as the current six-seat quota is suspicious and clearly designed for malicious purposes.
- Launching a national policy for the return of Syrian refugees to Syria, while reviewing all previous bilateral agreements to ensure alignment with Lebanon’s supreme national interest.”
The committee concluded:
“We fully recognize the weight of the immense challenges and responsibilities you both bear. Yet we are confident that this historic opportunity warrants every sacrifice so that Lebanon may once again live as a homeland of freedom and human dignity, and the state may regain its authority through the Constitution, the rule of law, and complete sovereignty.”
— J.S.