CDRL Warns: The Political Regime in Lebanon Must Not be Allowed to Succeed Itself, Calls for Support of Elections Law Reform

Beirut, March 15, 2005: The Center for Democracy and the Rule of Law ("CDRL") issued the following statement:

Recent events in Lebanon have proven once more that the exercise of people's power through street demonstrations can topple government. But people's power is even more effective when utilized through the ballot box, in fair and democratic elections, in order to bring about a successor government. CDRL wishes to warn that there can be no democratic elections unless the people are enabled to freely exercise their rights of free speech and assembly, with a free and responsible media, and are not denied the safeguards established by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For toppling one government and installing a successor government is not an end itself but only a means to achieving liberty and democracy.

Unfortunately, the Lebanese government and political stock, which are now visibly divided over the issue of Syrian withdrawal, were once united in their support of, or acquiescence to, various forms of foreign military intervention in Lebanon over the past few decades. More significantly, they all have been jointly responsible for the policies of repression and corruption that have characterized their rule with or without foreign hegemony. Sadly, they have used judges as their prime tool for the enforcement of their policies of repression and corruption. They have also used the thoroughly corrupt system of the franchised media either to disseminate lies or to blackout the truth.

CDRL wishes to make it clear that toppling the government through people's power is a great waste of energy if the successor government is constituted of persons from that same political stock, if the judges remain their prime tool, if there are no fair and democratic elections, and if the corrupt franchised media survives intact. Such a result will not be conducive to liberty and democracy.

Therefore, and while toppling the government and insuring the full withdrawal of all foreign troops remains the primary national objective, the Lebanese people and the international community are called upon to focus on the issue of what happens the day after. They should not allow the fallen regime to succeed itself, not temporarily and not in the guise of a "government of national unity" or a "neutral cabinet". The next government of Lebanon should consist of persons of integrity and qualifications, of clean hands and clear consciences.

CDRL calls for the essential prerequisites for liberty and democracy in Lebanon to be quickly established in addition to the full withdrawal of foreign armies. These are:

A. A modern system of fair and democratic elections based on the principle of one-man-one-vote and run by an independent elections authority. CDRL calls for your support for the CDRL-sponsored project on elections reform which may be retrieved from our internet website URL at http://www.cdrl.org/publicdocs/elections.pdf.

B. A reformed judiciary characterized with competence, independence and integrity, with no power for military courts over civilians, and with equal access to justice in all causes of action for all persons.

C. A responsible and accountable media that does not thrive on political subsidies and diligently performs the legal obligation of regularly publishing accounts. The franchise restrictions on start-ups must be abolished forthwith.

This press release and background information is available online at http://www.cdrl.org/