Not for Sale

Numerous Lebanese are facing a difficult choice in the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled to take place on June 7. According to the New York Times, donors from across the globe are pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into Lebanon in order to impact the elections. The Saudi Arabian government is involved, with an aim to buy votes in support of the election of Saad Hariri and his allies. For the average voter that could mean $800 or so in exchange for a vote—not to mention the dignity, free speech, and political rights that could also be taken. Other questionable practices include financing the trips of Lebanese immigrants to their homeland to vote for the current majority coalition. It pains us to see that Saudi Arabia is interfering in the election process of an emerging democratic country.

This represents an assault to Lebanon’s sovereignty that we condemn. Elections have to be free in order for representative government to function. An official from the Saudi Arabian government justified the use of such dubious techniques as a way to oppose Iranian influence—as Iran has funded Hezbollah, a militant Shi’a group in the south of Lebanon.

Iran, however, is not currently in the process of directly hijacking an election. The Saudi bribes are also a breach of Lebanese electoral laws, which forbid the outright purchasing of votes and place a cap on the spending of candidates in the two months prior to an election.

Apart from the moral and ethical problems that buying off voters raises, such an act can increase instability in this frail country. It could lead the opposing party to doubt the legitimacy of the elections and lead to calls for another round of elections.

The country has already been through its share of political turmoil—culminating last year in gunfights in the streets of Beirut. Political leaders then headed to Doha and negotiated a power-sharing agreement in order to calm sectarian tensions.

Corrupted elections could very well lead the country to the brink of civil war.

Ironically, though, these backhanded techniques are also a testament to how far democracy has come in Lebanon. In order to influence the election result, Saudi Arabia has had to directly address the citizens of Lebanon. In earlier decades, just a few big backroom deals behind closed doors might have done the job.

Today electoral power now more clearly rests with the people of Lebanon. Nevertheless, we urge foreign powers to respect the autonomy of Lebanon and the true electoral desires of Lebanese voters.

Overall we hope to see a free and democratic election in Lebanon that truly represents the choice of its voters. We encourage the Lebanese to refuse the purchase deals and chose their candidate independently—or perhaps, as one Lebanese artist turned candidate put it, “Take the money and vote against them.”