This project is funded by the European Union

Examining the Electoral Process in 2013/2014:

Lessons and Recommendations
Concept Paper

1) Workshops Concept:
On August 19, 2014 the Council of Ministers issued the 2014 elections decree and it was
published in the Official Gazette on the same day. The decree noted that Sunday, November
16 2014 would be the Election Day.
The Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) submitted an official request to the
Ministry of Interior to monitor the elections, in accordance with article 20 of the parliamentary
election law number 25/2008. In the context of election monitoring LADE published two
preliminary reports. Later LADE developed a final report after the parliament extension was
passed, which provided an analysis of the political and legal framework within which the
electoral process was launched, including the preparations for the 2014 elections and the
extension of the term of parliament and the subsequent elimination of the legislative mandate
2013 -2017. The report also covered the voting by the Lebanese citizens in Kuwait and
Australia and the appeal against the extension before the Constitutional Council. The final
report was concluded with general recommendations for the coming period.
Based on the conclusions from the final report, LADE recognized the need to organize an open
discussion between all parties involved in the electoral process (representatives of relevant
ministries and political parties, academics, legal and electoral experts) and civil society
organizations, in order to establish a road map for the next elections.

2) Workshop Objectives:
The workshop entitled A Reading in the 2013 and 2014 elections: Lessons and
Recommendations, aims to start an objective discussion of the previous period between all
parties involved in the electoral process which has not been concluded in 2014, in order to

come out with lessons and conclusions about that period and work on developing
recommendations and work mechanisms for the upcoming phase.
3) The participants and the workshops organization mechanism:
The workshop will host representatives from the following sectors and groups:

The Constitutional Council (President)

Relevant ministries (Interior and Municipalities, Foreign Affairs, Justice)
Syndicates and Bar Associations
Political parties
University professors
Election experts
Human rights and democracy advocacy organizations

An expert will be assigned to prepare a paper that would be the starting point for the
discussion. One facilitator will be assigned to each panel to sum up the discussion and
elaborate the recommendations that will be launched at the end of the workshop.

This workshop is part of the project

Civil Advocacy and Mobilisation for Electoral Reform
Funded by the European Union, and in partnership with

Program

Date: Wednesday 14 January 2015

Place: Golden Tulip Hotel, Hamra, Abdel Aziz Street
9.00-9.30: Arrival and Registration
9.30-10.00: Opening Session Keynote speeches

Dr. Makram Ouaiss, General Secretary of the Lebanese Association for Democratic
Elections
Ms. Margarete Jacob, First Secretary, EU Delegation in Lebanon, Political Section

10:00 - 11:30: First session Remarks and general observations on the 2014 election
Facilitator: Mr. Ziad Abdel Samad, Executive Director of the Arab NGO Network for
Development
Speakers:

H.E. Mr. Ziad Baroud, Former Minister of Interior and Municipalities

Ms. Faten Younis - Director General of Political Affairs and Refugees Directorate in
the Ministry of Interior

Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Yara Nassar, Executive Director of the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections
11.30-12.00: Break
12.00-13.30: Second session The Constitutional Council and Parliamentary Elections
Facilitator: Dr. Rizk Zgheib, Professor of International Law
Speakers:

Dr. Issam Sleiman, President of the Constitutional Council

H.E. Dr. Khaled Qabbani, Former Minister of Justice

Dr. Omar Houri, Professor of Constitutional Law

13.30-14.30: Lunch Break
14.30-15.30: Third session Exceptional circumstances and security concerns
associated with the extension
Facilitator: Mr. Adnan Melki, Former General Secretary of the Lebanese Association for
Democratic Elections

Speakers:

Dr. Khalil Gebara, Advisor to the Minister of Interior

Mr. Bassam Abou Zeid, Reporter and News Anchor

Dr. Marie-Therese Akl, Professor of Public Law

Dr. Ali Mourad, Professor of Law

15.30-17.00: Fourth session The civil society experience against the parliamentary
extension
Facilitator: Ms. Dayana El Baba, Training Coordinator at the Lebanese Association for
Democratic Elections
Speakers:

Dr. Karam Karam, Professor of Political Science

Mr. Hassan El-Zein, Journalist

Mr. Naji Said, Activist in the Civil Movement for Accountability

This workshop is part of the project

Civil Advocacy and Mobilisation for Electoral Reform
Funded by the European Union, and in partnership with