Pre-History

Pre-history

Due to my political engagement driven by an intense love toward the country with all its paradigms I landed one day on a brunch table with politically betrothed women. There I met “Myrna”. She was extremely articulate, intelligent, young and dynamic. We exchanged on fund raising for running candidates and on the possibility to help women run in the parliamentary elections in Lebanon. Sunk between the exquisite foods on that table, the presence of two ambassadors as role models for successful women in political life, Myrna and the others, I decided to give it a shot and run as “the candidate for change” in Lebanon’s elections Spring 2009. “Give it a shot” is a real challenge for “someone” to run as a candidate in Lebanon with the worse pre-conditions; (1) No financial means, (2) Not backed by a political party; (3) Not coming from a feudal family; (4) Not conservative and traditional; (5) No compromise on principles; and more. The other face of the coin are pure advantages as I am not a feudal, nor a warlord, nor an extremist, nor an illiterate, nor would I bribe or threaten the citizens, just at the contrary I am an ardent “fighter” for human rights. And yes, unlike my political opponents I have a program based on socio-economic issues to improve the Lebanese individuals’ situation.

Lebanon’s Political Background

In Lebanon the political system is parliamentary, i.e. a National Assembly constituted out of 128 members (64 Muslims; 64 Christians) and an additional President (Shiite) and Vice president (Christian) represent the legislative system which passes bills and resolutions (PS: This is what it is supposed to do, reality is different, it has become the arena for electoral campaigns, battles, physical and verbal brutal exchanges). The Parliament has committees and delegations which study the bills before becoming laws and get submitted to the government currently formed out of 30 ministers (15 Christians; 15 Muslims) headed by a Sunni Prime Minister and a Christian Vice.

The government is the executive apparatus according to law but in reality each minister can perform within his own ministry in an autonomy. Constitutionally, the president has a strong and influential position. The president appoints the council of ministers and designates one of them to be prime minister. The president also has the authority to promulgate laws passed by the National Assembly, to issue supplementary regulations to ensure the execution of laws and to negotiate and ratify treaties. The president who is a Maronite has judicial power although the judicial system is independent in Lebanon based on the Napoleonic Code i.e. juries are not used in trials. The Lebanese court system has three levels--courts of first instance, courts of appeal, and the court of cassation. There also is a system of religious courts having jurisdiction on personal status matters within their own communities, i.e., rules on such matters as marriage, divorce and inheritance.

However the Christian communities are autonomous and do not receive salaries from the state like the Muslim communities. The Christian church believes in separation of politics and religion although it preserves its own culture within the pluralistic system.

Women in Lebanon

Women in Lebanon are obviously underrepresented except for a rarity - mostly inherited seats. Rafiq Hariri was an avant-gardes who appointed a female PM however women remain a complete minority in political life due to several reasons, mainly the cultural aspect in a masculist society but also because of lack of financial resources and her intention to secure her family and insure primary needs such as education and health in a system which does not really take care of its citizens. Lebanon is a free market (Although in reality it isn’t) which has public schools lacking level, and 1/10 are secured in social health.

Moreover people who are not from a political family (Such as Gemayel, Mouawad, Hariri, Aoun, Karameh, Frangieh, Solh, etc.) have few chances to contribute to political life. Hence women have less chances in such a combination.