Albright arrives in Beirut on poll-monitoring mission
Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright arrived in Beirut Tuesday with an international observation delegation ahead of Lebanon”s June 7 parliamentary elections.
Albright, a board director of the Council on Foreign Relations and Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton, is co-leading the high-profile team to assess preparations for the Lebanese elections on behalf of the National Democratic Institute (NDI).
NDI, an international NGO committed to supporting and strengthening democratic institutions worldwide, has operated in Lebanon since 1996, working with Lebanese civil society groups to reform the country”s political system.
The organization was accredited by the Interior Ministry to observe the summer polls earlier this year.
NDI has a long history of election observation, including the 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council elections, when it partnered with The Carter Center, which has also sent observers to Lebanon ahead of the polls.
Albright, the chairman of NDI”s board, is co-leading the delegation with former Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark.
According to NDI the delegation, Albright and Clark will meet during their visit with various political leaders, election experts and community leaders, as well as NDI”s team of eight long-term observers.
The delegation is expected to announce the observation mission”s preliminary findings and recommendations on Thursday.