The Lebanese Association of Democratic Elections

According to the UN, “political observes often cite Lebanon as an example of freedom and democracy amidst other non-democratic states in the region.” In actuality, however, Lebanese elections fall far short of matching up to the democratic ideal. Marred by endemic corruption and voter intimidation, Lebanese election results can be wildly irregular; “buying votes and manipulating poll results is nothing new in Lebanese elections,” reports the German newspaper Qantara.

One clear problem is Lebanon’s lack of a federal election monitoring agency to regulate election integrity. In this vacuum, a group of academics, jurists, journalists, researches, NGO workers, and students founded the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) in 1996. “Our initiative was a way of compensating for the general political frustration,” says Karam Karam, a founding member and project manager for the organization. In 2005, over 500 LADE volunteers came out to monitor the general elections and document any voting irregularities. This year, many more will be carrying out this task.

LADE’s work begins far before any votes are cast, however. In the run-up to the election, LADE volunteers inform citizens about Lebanese electoral law and help voters register for the elections. After the elections are over, LADE reports on the elections, and suggests ways to modify and develop electoral laws and regulations. LADE reports have already resulted in four by-elections in Lebanon. LADE’s reports today have been widely referenced by the local and international media as well as foreign governments to gauge the commitment of candidates to the electoral law.

LADE is also involved in regional and international election observation programs. To learn more about the organization, please visit the following address: www.ladeleb.org.