Lebanese Elections Pose Challenges in Wake of Presence of Arms
Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Thursday that the team assessing preparations for the June 7 parliamentary elections was concerned about the presence of weapons.
Albright, who is co-leading a high-profile team to assess preparations for the polls on behalf of the National Democratic Institute, said NDI evaluation of the Lebanese electoral system "pose challenges in the wake of the presence of arms in the possession of (political) parties."
She said the presence of arms "also pose challenges in the face of the international monitor delegation."
Albright said that while the Lebanese army would keep peace during elections, "one opposing party possessed military and armed strength which is not under state control," a reference to Hizbullah”s arsenal.
"Let”s not forget at the same time that other parties, in turn, possess weapons of different sizes," she told a news conference at the Phoenicia Hotel in downtown Beirut .
Albright said the delegation expressed concern over the non-completion of the formation of the constitutional council, which is the only body that has the power to look into complaints related to election fraud and challenging results.
Lebanese Parliament has elected five members for the constitutional council, setting the stage for the establishment of the 10-seat highest constitutional court.
The dispute, however, over naming the other five members to the council, allowing it to be operational prior to the forthcoming elections, remained unsolved.
Picture: Lebanese Interior Minister Ziad Baroud, left, speaks with former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, center, as former Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark, right, looks on during a tour at the Interior Ministry”s elections center, in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, May 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)