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?