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The electoral process in Lebanon is adapting to challenging conditions, wherein securing any sort of election has become more of a privilege in light of the country’s political, economic and security situation. Municipal elections, slated for last year, were postponed due to the reluctance of influential governmental and parliamentary factions to proceed, citing issues like insufficient funding and the prevailing economic crisis.
It is widely acknowledged that funding was, in fact, available, as openly stated by the Minister of Interior in the caretaker government, Bassam Mawlawi. The municipal elections were expected to take place this year, but they will once again be postponed, now because of the situation in southern Lebanon and the heightened security tensions in its districts due to the ongoing conflict. This postponement will be justified by security concerns and worries for the residents of the South who have been neglected by the government, which failed in addressing their needs. However, this time around, there will be a sharper focus on their fears regarding the worsening humanitarian conditions in the South.
In the face of the numerous tragedies we’re experiencing, many may downplay the importance of municipal elections, viewing them as non-essential in the current context and unlikely to lead to significant change in the broader reality. Herein lies the problem.
Lebanese attitudes often tend to underestimate anything less than major decisions made by the leaders of the country’s five or six denominations during the post-Taif phase. While demands for expanded administrative decentralization have grown, the prevailing mindset has begun to view it as a division and dissolution of the concept of a unified state.
Yet, the constitutional frameworks of both the first and second Republics in Lebanon placed significant emphasis on the importance of municipalities, a fact overlooked by different political and popular forces. Consequently, regions have endured deprivation and imbalanced development.
Municipalities are not merely a place for resolving rural issues. Rather, they are dynamic entities for catalyzing action on multiple fronts and enhancing living conditions within neighborhoods or villages. Prior to the crisis, municipalities stood as some of the most financially robust institutions, equipped to sustainably develop the areas under their purview, especially in terms of improving services, even though most of them decided to spend it on municipal palaces and perks.
Amid improvements in a broad spectrum of services, municipalities have emerged as key players in vaccination campaigns and the battle against COVID-19. With each looming winter, municipalities face criticism for having overlooked the maintenance of their drainage systems. Furthermore, during social crises, those same municipalities enforce effective security protocols that manage to prevent thefts within their communities.
In recent days, following the building collapses in Choueifat, municipalities initiated inspection campaigns for buildings deemed hazardous, and only the truly committed municipalities were able to protect their communities. The same applies to the waste management crisis that began in 2015; municipalities that had clear environmental strategies were the ones that effectively overcame the ongoing waste crisis in Lebanon.
Municipalities are not mere electoral tools as some politicians chose to perceive them. Nor are they platforms for hoarding positions to control the municipalities’ syndicate in clusters of villages within a specific district or geographical area.
At the forefront of addressing citizens’ concerns under normal circumstances, municipalities are now facing significant challenges. With over 10% of Lebanon’s municipalities rendered inactive, those that remain operational are navigating financial crises or grappling with depleted membership due to emigration, resignations or waning engagement.
In light of these pressing challenges, a question arises: Is anyone still debating the need for holding municipal elections, promptly and without any further delay?
