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Viewing cable 09BEIRUT527, LEBANON: NDI DELEGATION HEADED BY MADELEINE
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| Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09BEIRUT527 | 2009-05-12 13:15 | 2011-08-24 16:30 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Embassy Beirut |
VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHLB #0527/01 1321315
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121315Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4854
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3749
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS BEIRUT 000527
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
ALSO FOR IO A/S BRIMMER
P FOR DRUSSELL, RRANGASWAMY
USUN FOR WOLFF/GERMAIN/SCHEDLBAUER
NSC FOR SHAPIRO, MCDERMOTT
DRL/NESA FOR WHITMAN, BARGHOUT
INL FOR A/S JOHNSON
OVP FOR HMUSTAFA
STATE PASS USAID FOR LAUDATO/NANDY/SCOTT
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: NDI DELEGATION HEADED BY MADELEINE
ALBRIGHT VISITS BEIRUT
REF: A. BEIRUT 263
¶B. BEIRUT 247
SUMMARY
-------
¶1. (SBU) Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
visited Beirut May 5-8 as the co-chair of a high-profile team
(with former Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark) to assess
preparations for the June 7 parliamentary elections on behalf
of the National Democratic Institute (NDI). The delegation
met with President Sleiman, PM Siniora, Speaker Berri,
Parliament Majority Leader Saad Hariri, Interior Minister
Ziyad Baroud, Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, and
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea during the visit. The
group also met ministers, MPs, and various other leaders from
the women's, civil society, and international communities
during a May 6 reception hosted by the Ambassador. The
delegation held a press conference on May 7 (NDI statement
contained in para 11). End summary.
GOL MAKING GOOD EFFORTS
ON ELECTION PLANNING
-----------------------
¶2. (SBU) Secretary Albright co-led a high-profile team with
former Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark to assess
preparations for the June 7 parliamentary elections on behalf
of NDI. In a May 7 press conference, former U.S. Secretary
of State Madeleine Albright held a Q and A session with
journalists concerning the National Democratic Institute's
(NDI) upcoming mission to observe the June 7 parliamentary
elections.
¶3. (SBU) During the press conference, Albright briefed
journalists on NDI's pre-election assessment. In the
statement, Albright praised the GOL for recent and positive
electoral reforms that represent improvements over past
elections. This includes forming an election supervisory
committee, establishing campaign finance and media
regulations, and accrediting domestic and international
observers. Albright also praised Minister of Interior Ziyad
Baroud's impartial planning of the elections.
NDI CRITICIZES
HIZBALLAH'S WEAPONS
-------------------
¶4. (SBU) However, Albright also stated some of NDI's
concerns with the manner in which the elections were being
prepared. In particular, Albright expressed the NDI team's
alarm about the presence of weapons, noting that NDI's
evaluation of the Lebanese electoral system faces challenges
in the wake of the presence of arms in the possession of
political parties. She added that the presence of arms also
creates challenges for international observation delegations.
Albright noted that while the Lebanese Armed Forces would
keep peace during the elections, "one party possessed
military and armed strength which is not under state
control," a reference to Hizballah's arsenal.
¶5. (SBU) Albright also expressed the delegation's
apprehension over the non-completion of the formation of the
Constitutional Council. The Council will play a critical
role in the elections, as it provides the only legal recourse
for adjudicating challenges to the electoral results-- Refs A
and B. (Note: Parliament underwent a contentious,
politicized process to name its five members, and the cabinet
has not yet nominated, or even discussed, the five remaining
appointments. End note.) NDI cited the need for the
Ministry of Interior to educate voters before the June 7
election day.
PRESS REACTIONS TO ALBRIGHT VISIT
---------------------------------
¶6. (SBU) Most newspapers covered Albright's visit to various
Lebanese politicians, in addition to the joint press
conference. Pro-opposition Al-Akhbar newspaper noted that
Albright repeated several times that she did not represent
the USG. Al-Akhbar also reported that the USG will decide
its policies based on the results of the elections.
¶7. (SBU) Moderate, anti-Syrian, An-Nahar reported that
Secretary Albright indicated that NDI is looking for as much
transparency as possible in the election process. An-Nahar
highlighted Secretary Albright's emphasis that the Lebanese
should have the right to determine their own future.
An-Nahar also highlighted her praise for the steps that were
taken by the Lebanese community towards political reform,
particularly what the Boutros Commission did to highlight the
representational quality of elected members of parliament.
ALBRIGHT MEETS POLITICAL ELITE
------------------------------
¶8. (SBU) The delegation met with President Sleiman, PM
Siniora, Speaker Berri, Parliament Majority Leader Saad
Hariri, Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud, Free Patriotic
Movement leader Michel Aoun, and Lebanese Forces leader Samir
Geagea during the three-day visit. In a May 6 reception
hosted by the Ambassador, Albright met with a number of
Lebanese ministers including, Information Minister Tarek
Mitri, Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar, Education Minister
Bahia Hariri, and Finance Minister Mohammed Chatah. Albright
also met at the reception MPs Misbah Ahdab (independent,
pro-March 14), Anwar al-Khalil (Amal, March 8), Marwan
Hamade (Progressive Socialist Party, March 14), Hagop
Pakradounian (Tashnaq, pro-Aoun). Civil society
representatives also attended the reception including Ziyad
Abda Samad, Secretary General of the Lebanese Association for
Democratic Elections (LADE); Dr. Khalil Gebrara, former head
of the Lebanese Transparency Association and current member
of the GOL's Supervisory Electoral Commission; and members of
the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)funded Youth
Shadow Government.
DIPLOMATS WIL NOT RECEIVE
ACCREDITATION TO MONITOR ELECTIONS
----------------------------------
¶9. (SBU) In a May 6 conference attended by the Ambassador and
other foreign Chiefs of Mission, and hosted by the United
Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), Michael
Williams, the Director of the newly established Election
Observation Unit at the Ministry of Interior, Makram Ouweis,
briefed donors on the role of the unit and its work so far.
Ouweis said that foreign diplomats will not be accredited to
enter polling stations on June 7. Only those diplomats who
are officially part of a high level delegation of foreign
parliamentarians and ministers, or members of an NGO such as
NDI or Carter Center will be accredited, he said. Last
minute, high-level delegations, can receive accreditation on
a case-by-case basis, according to Ouweis.
¶10. (SBU) He added that all accredited monitors will have to
submit individual applications and sign a Code of Ethics
pledge to receive official accreditation from the Ministry.
The Observation unit is planning to accredit more than 3000
domestic observers, 200 international observers, and 200
media representatives. The international observation
missions that have applied for accreditation so far, include
delegations from NDI, the Carter Center, the EU, the Arab
League, and Turkey.
TEXT OF OFFICIAL NDI STATEMENT
------------------------------
¶11. (U) Begin text: In one month, the Lebanese people will
go to the polls to elect a new parliament. They will do so
under a new electoral law and administration agreed upon by
all political contestants. This represents a significant
step toward greater transparency and confidence in the
process and the development of Lebanon and its institutions
as a sovereign state. Too often Lebanon has been defined by
events and actors outside the country's borders. The
National Democratic Institute is part of a growing network of
friends of Lebanon who agree that Lebanon's people alone
should determine the country's future.
Lebanon's history and sectarian divisions have given rise to
a unique electoral system based on an allocation of seats
along confessional lines. It includes elements of
competition, and, when conducted peacefully, can lead to
outcomes accepted as representative by voters and political
competitors. Over the past several years there has been a
growing movement for political reform led by civil society
groups. This effort led to the establishment of the Butros
Commission, which recommended major changes in the electoral
system, including proportional representation, that could,
over time, lead to strengthened institutions of
representative government.
Some reforms were adopted by parliament and a number of
improvements were approved for this election cycle, which, it
is hoped, will pave the way for broader changes after the
upcoming polls. This is a process we encourage. Recent and
positive electoral reforms that represent improvements over
past elections include the following:
- Formation of an election supervisory committee. The
Supervisory Committee on the Electoral Campaign (SCEC) falls
short of an independent electoral commission but sets an
important precedent as an intermediary body that could serve
as a precursor to such a commission as was the case in Mexico
in the 1990s. It is responsible for ensuring the
implementation of Chapters 5 and 6 of the electoral law,
which stipulate campaign finance and media regulations.
- Impartial administration. The Minister of the Interior,
who is ultimately charged with the administration of the
elections, was in our discussions widely viewed as impartial,
professional and committed to administering a transparent and
credible process.
- Campaign finance and media regulations. Newly-enacted
campaign finance regulations, although diluted by significant
loopholes, set a key precedent by mandating expenditure
limits. Meanwhile, media regulations seek to ensure the
candidates, fair and equal access to all media outlets.
While questions remain regarding enforcement of the new
rules, most parties and candidates have welcomed the changes.
- Accreditation of domestic and international observers. The
June 7 elections will be the first in Lebanon's history in
which the Council of Ministers issued a decree allowing the
Minister of Interior to accredit international observers.
The electoral law also allows domestic election observation.
This initiative brings an added degree of transparency to the
process and helps to build confidence in the elections by
Lebanese citizens.
At the same time, assessing the Lebanese electoral system in
relation to international norms and standards presents a
challenge for international observation. The Lebanese army
is charged with maintaining order around the elections, but
one of the political contestants maintains a major armed
force not under the control of the state. Other parties also
possess arms of various sizes and capabilities. Given the
allocation of parliamentary seats by district and along
confessional lines, and a "winner take all" majoritarian
system, the results are all but predetermined in an
overwhelming majority of the races.
The lack of pre-printed ballots can compromise secrecy of the
vote and strengthens the power of political elites creating
the opportunity for deal-making and undue influence of
voters. Moreover, the drawing of district lines has led to
large discrepancies in the number of voters per district and
therefore to unequal weight given to each vote. Voters
register and vote in their ancestral villages rather than
their place of residence, requiring them to travel long
distances and, in some cases to areas now dominated by
another confessional group. Moreover, women are required to
vote in the ancestral home of their husbands. All of the
above-mentioned issues have been part of the Lebanese
electoral reform debate. While further reforms can be
considered following the upcoming polls, there are a number
of steps that could be taken between now and June 7 to
further enhance the credibility of the elections:
- The ability to challenge and adjudicate election results.
According to Lebanese law, the Constitutional Council
(comprised of 10 members-five elected by parliament and five
appointed by the Council of Ministers) is charged with
accrediting the entire process through resolving voting
disputes after the polls. However, the Council has yet to be
formed, with many observers concerned that it will not be
established by election day. The delegation hopes that a
means will be found between now and June 7 to break the
existing political deadlock and that the Council will be
established and fulfill its mandate.
- Logistical and security issues. Holding elections in a
single day rather than on consecutive weekends is one of the
newly-enacted reforms; however it entails major logistical
challenges. The election authorities recognize that given the
large-scale movement of voters around the elections and
closely contested races in certain districts, plans must be
put in place to ensure adequate voter mobility and security.
Mobilizing an estimated 30,000 security forces (both the army
and police) will require significant management and
coordination efforts by the Defense and Interior ministries.
The delegation also hopes that the Interior Ministry will
take all appropriate measures under its authority against
those who may violate electoral law during this critical
pre-election period. Voter security and a peaceful election
environment can be further enhanced with the adoption by the
political parties of a code of conduct ) an initiative now
being advanced by the Minister of the Interior.
- Voter education. NDI's long-term observers report a need
for greater information for candidates, parties and the
public on the specifics of the new election law and note that
there is confusion about the role of district and local
officials in the election process. The delegation hopes that
between now and election day, the election authorities could
expand the education campaign they launched earlier to better
inform election workers and voters about new regulations.
End text.
SISON