National News, Analyses & Opinions
Gerrymandering Electoral Districts - A Brief History of Redistricting in Lebanon, and its influential Role in the Electoral Process
Opinion Policy Analysis by Nicole Nicolas, Visiting Contributor
Like most other nations of the modern world, Lebanon has played host to countless, and very elaborate, forms of gerrymandering. Lebanon’s electoral districts have been drawn and redrawn several times since the country’s inception. In a sectarian power sharing system dating back to 1943, Lebanon’s sectarian leaders have always agreed to draw district lines together, each side going for a bigger piece of the pie. With a few seasonal disputes here and there, an arrangement is always reached, “No winners and no losers”, according to the late Prime Minister Saeb Salam - a principle that defines Lebanon’s political structure to this very day. The result of such agreements means that election results are almost always determined before elections even take place.
Lebanon 2022 elections: how to prepare? - A guide to having fruitful elections as a first step towards recovery
Analysis by Zeina Dagher, Staff Writer
Today more than ever, it’s hard to imagine that a poor Lebanese citizen, who can barely afford food on the table, will show interest in or have time to read academic articles pinpointing the alleged “root of the problem”. Nor will this citizen be able to resist a $20 bill bribe in exchange for a vote. He or she may not even show interest in voting, politics being a remote concern compared to bodily needs like food and rest. But Lebanon can’t afford another failed election. So the question is: how do we ensure the best voting conditions to be able to elect a truly reformed parliament? How do we make sure that the horrible experience of the 2018 elections doesn’t happen again? And what is our role and the civil society’s in paving the way for these successful elections?