LEBANON: ELECTORAL REFORM PACE MAY INCREASE WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIRUT 001024 SIPDIS NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/YERGER/GAVITO DRL FOR KRAMER/BARGHOUT E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM LE SUBJECT: LEBANON: ELECTORAL REFORM PACE MAY INCREASE WITH EXPERT AS INTERIOR MINISTER REF: BEIRUT 00723 Classified By: CDA William Grant for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) In recent weeks, Lebanese civil society activists have been invited to address both the parliamentary committee considering electoral reform and a group of key March 14 political leaders. Both invitations are almost unprecedented in Lebanese political tradition, according to civil society contacts. The electoral reform movement was further supported by President Sleiman's appointment of Ziad Baroud as Minister of Interior, the official responsible for supervising parliamentary elections in Spring 2009. A lawyer who was a member of the Boutros Commission and a key Embassy contact on a variety of NGO issues, Baroud's appointment is being welcomed by a wide range of civil society actors. Some March 14 contacts are concerned about Baroud's lack of experience on internal security issues, given that the Minister of Interior is the lead for both the Internal Security Forces (ISF) and General Security. The Minister of Interior slot was one of President Sleiman's three personal picks for the new cabinet. His decision to place Baroud in the spot is being seen as an indication that the President considers preparation for the 2009 elections to be a key priority. End Summary. Civil Society Builds Momentum After Doha... -------------- ¶2. (C) In May, civil society leaders were concerned when the Lebanese political leaders traveled to Qatar and agreed upon new electoral districts as part of the Doha Agreement. For groups who had been active on this issue for years, it was seen as an insult that electoral issues were used as a bargaining chip among the country's elite leaders with no voter consultation. Both March 14 and March 8 seemed to lose the confidence of some citizens and there were signs along the highway while the leaders were in Doha which said, "If you can't agree, don't come home." ¶3. (C) Since Doha, however, civil society groups have become even more active in their political lobbying initiatives. MEPI funds were recently used to help the Civil Campaign for Electoral Reform (CCER),a coalition of more than 60 local NGO's working on electoral reform, establish an Executive Secretariat to coordinate strategic communications and political outreach. In addition, DRL-funded International Federation for Electoral Systems (IFES) partnered with CCER to provide in-depth training to civil society members to raise their level of education on electoral issues in the international context. CCER now boasts a large cadre of interlocutors who educate the public and political leaders on key issues of reform. .....And Finally Gets Its Foot in the Door -------------- ¶4. (C) Parliamentary committees, with members from both the opposition and the majority, have continued to meet to discus pending legislative issues during the recent political vacuum. One of the most active, the Justice and Administration Committee, has been moving forward on consideration of the various reforms outlined by the Boutros Commission. Chaired by independent, but pro-March 14 MP Robert Ghanem, the committee invited well-known technical expert on electoral reform, Ziad Baroud, and the head of the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) and CCER member Saed Sanaadiki, to testify before the committee. As we have been told, committee doors have rarely been opened for outside testimony and this is perhaps the first time civil representatives have received such an invitation. ¶5. (C) The opening session on June 23 was very successful. During a July 10 meeting with the Charge and Special Assistant, Ghanem particularly praised the expertise of Baroud and Sanaadiki, saying that they adopted an educational rather than confrontational tone with the committee. "This is an extremely complex issue and few parliamentarians understand it completely. Now we are beginning to see that a number of the reforms are common sense and we don't see a problem with moving forward on certain ones." Ghanem also told us that he was pleased that Sanaadiki had shown civil BEIRUT 00001024 002 OF 003 society in such a positive light. "He is Lebanese and we need to hear this message from our own citizens rather than international 'outsiders.'" ¶6. (C) CCER is particularly pleased because Sanaadiki was invited back twice to meet with the committee on July 7 and July 9. "This shows that we were not invited in for a patronizing pat on the head," said Sanaadiki. "The parliamentarians actually are starting to realize that we can serve as a valuable resource and partner. There are practical solutions to most of the problems that have been raised in political circles." In fact, Ghanem confirmed that for the July 7 session, parliamentarians who do not even serve on the Justice and Administration Committee joined in on the briefing to gain a better understanding of the issue. Again, we are told that this is almost an unprecedented occurrence. "It's hard to get members to show up for their own committee meetings, never mind someone else's," said Ghanem. March 14 Also Holds Workshop on Electoral Reform -------------- ¶7. (C) As a Mission, we have been encouraging March 14 actors to engage more actively with civil society representatives. One key member of the March 14 Executive Secretariat, MP Antoine Haddad, organized a workshop on electoral reform for members of the alliance. Again, Sanaadiki was invited to speak and IFES was also asked to contribute. Eleven MP's attended the afternoon session, along with representatives from Future Movement, the Democratic Renewal Movement, and the Kataeb Party. Haddad, who is also a member of LADE, seems personally responsible for this meeting. (Note: During their convention, the March 14 alliance had promised to organize a series of workshops, including one on electoral reform. There was little progress in the four months that followed, but Haddad seems to be emerging as a March 14 point person for electoral reform. End Note.) ¶8. (C) Again, this invitation was enthusiastically welcomed by CCER members, who often struggle to get appointments with individual MPs and consider the opportunity to address eleven at the same time to be a major advancement. Sleiman Surprises Many By Naming Baroud as Minister of Interior -------------- ¶9. (C) Zaid Baroud, a well-known lawyer and civil society activist, has developed a solid reputation in Beirut as a skilled technical expert. He served as a member of the Boutros Commission in 2005 and has been one of the key Lebanese voices credited in keeping electoral reform issues alive for the last three years. A practicing lawyer, Baroud has also served as consultant to the UNDP and European Union on electoral reform and technical assistance issues. Additionally, he has often volunteered his services to serve as the legal counsel for a number of NGO's, including No Corruption, Medicins du Monde, and Nahar Shebab. (Note: We have worked closely with him on a MEPI-funded program, Youth Shadow Government. He has served as a popular mentor to this group of young professionals who act as "shadow ministers" for one year to gain a better understanding of Lebanese political life. End Note.) ¶10. (C) In early July, Baroud's name began circulating as possible new Minister of Interior. This was surprising to many, as Baroud seems to have little background on the important security issues that will face the new minister in charge of the ISF and General Security. Ghanem confirmed this impression and told us that although Baroud is a respected technocrat, he does not have the "gravitas" or stature needed to serve as one of the most important ministers in Lebanon. "If Sleiman chooses Baroud, it will be a signal that Sleiman considers himself competent on security matters and that he wants to emphasize the importance of a good, clean election in 2009." Finally, contacts tell us that Baroud, in fact, is closer to both Sleiman and the Patriarch than many had known. He is not a traditional Lebanese politician and so may have been able to fly under the radar for a long period of time. ¶11. (C) Civil society contacts are thrilled with the appointment. "This is an open door and we have not had such an opportunity for reform in decades." There has been BEIRUT 00001024 003 OF 003 positive feedback from both the Christian community and some independent Shia contacts. According to one Shia contact, "Baroud is seen as a fair player and it will be harder to sling mud at this competent technocrat." Comment - Looking Forward on Electoral Reform -------------- ¶12. (C) Full implementation of the Boutros reforms seems unlikely, given the complexity of some issues and the fact that the election is less than ten months away. Civil society members, who now at least feel like they are being heard, seem to recognize this fact and are willing to focus on some of the more realistic deliverables. "We may not get a perfect election, but we do want a better one," stated one CCER member. ¶13. (C) Ghanem also confirmed that certain electoral reforms, such as the independent electoral commission, will be objectionable to both sides. He also said that some issues, such as expatriate voting, seem reasonable. "The key will be to do a few things properly now so that we can continue progress on these issues in preparation for the 2010 municipal elections." ¶14. (C) March 14 needs to manage their communications strategy wisely on this issue. Civil society members want additional access to March 14 leaders. As one CCER member told us, "Sometimes the meeting itself can be just as important as the final result. We won't vote for leaders who continue to ignore us." Also, when a reform is not seen to be politically feasible, March 14 must carefully craft a response that will answer voters' questions and counter accusations of corruption from the opposition. ¶15. (C) Finally, it is clear that additional international donor assistance will be needed to support what we hope will be an ambitious agenda from Minister Baroud. Local IFES reps have long lamented the lack of resources for electoral administration at the Ministry of Interior. "They've got one person in a back office and that's it." Baroud, with his background as a UN consultant, will likely be keen to begin donor coordination activities immediately. End Comment. GRANT