BEIRUT: Dr. Chantal Sarkis was appointed secretary-general of the Lebanese Forces party Thursday, becoming the first woman to hold the post in a major Lebanese political party.
“Coming from [incarceration] seven stories underground, it is an important message to all that the secretary-general of one of Lebanon’s biggest political parties is a woman,” Sarkis said, referring to the imprisonment of LF chief Samir Geagea.
Hailing from the northern Akkar town of Qobeiyat, Sarkis spent seven years as a political affairs officer at the United Nations. Her appointment comes following Dr. Fadi Saad’s resignation from the post.
Although she was not an official member of the LF while she was employed at the U.N., Sarkis says she is not new to the party.
“There is a conflict of interest if you are in a political party, while working at the U.N.,” she said.
While at the U.N., Sarkis said there were high hopes for the new U.N. secretary-general to be a woman.
“We were hoping that the U.N. would appoint the first female secretary-general; however, it turned out that the U.N. gave the LF their first female secretary-general,” Sarkis said with a laugh.
Sarkis, a 37-year-old mother of three and a universitylecturer, was recently appointed as a political and electoral adviser to the LF chief.
“On Sept. 1, I assumed the role of [political adviser], so I was not expecting to be appointed to this position at all,” Sarkis told The Daily Star.
Although the task at hand may be immense, Sarkis is eager to begin.
“Our short-term goal is to pass a new electoral law as soon as possible while working on the media presence of the LF,” Sarkis said.
Long-term goals for Sarkis include making the LF an exemplary model of how a political party should function. In a region where female representation is minimal, Sarkis has defied the odds, although she says it is nothing new for the LF.
“During the Civil War, while Dr. Geagea was imprisoned, and even today with MP Strida Geagea representing her town, women have been on the front lines of the LF,” she said.
Caroline Sleiby, vice president of the Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering, welcomed the appointment of Sarkis as secretary-general.
“Two years ago when we visited the LF and voiced our concerns with female representation, they said there were a small number of women who showed a willingness to hold such positions … Of course we are very happy that [the LF] have made such a big step in appointing a woman to such a high post,” Sleiby said.
However, she called for more work to be done.
“We call on political parties to enforce a quota for female representation, ensuring they have proper and fair representation,” Sleiby added.
Sarkis is confident that she is the first female secretary-general of a political party in the Middle East. “We are still researching to find out if this is an unprecedented appointment in the region, but we are almost positive that it is,” Sarkis told The Daily Star.
Sarkis hopes her appointment will bring positive changes to the party.
“Although the responsibility will be immense, I hope we can create an optimistic outlook for the youth while assuring the older generation that we are here to stay.”