Yves-Emmanuel ROUHANA
Democracy can
be defined as a political system anchored in the active participation of its
people in the political and civic lives. The people in such systems, considered
to be the source of power, are bound to be free, fully aware, involved,
integrated citizens in performing their rights and duties. According to the
Preamble of the Lebanese Constitution: “Lebanon is a parliamentary democratic
republic based on respect for public liberties, especially the freedom of
opinion and belief […]”. Lebanon also abides by the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights which emphasizes through Article 19 on the right to freedom of
opinion and expression guaranteed by the access to information right. The
understanding of the link between democracies, political participation, right
to freedom of opinion and access to information is crucial to define the
modality through which citizens in a democracy properly exercise their
responsibilities.
To materialize
the above mentioned, one can look at it from a cause and effect point of view.
Take for example the case of a Lebanese youngster who is partaking for the
first time in a municipal or legislative election. This youngster is convinced
that his or her vote will shape the future of his or her beloved country, and
is determined to vote for the candidate with the project that would meet the
needs and aspirations of a new generation. How can this youngster make a
decision if he/she doesn’t have access to the agendas, figures, and facts of
each candidate? How can this youngster debate with his/her peers why the
candidate of his/her choice is more suitable than others if there is no
reference to go back to for one to back up his/her arguments? Therefore, the
lack of access to information, hinders the free will of citizens and
constitutes an obstacle for their political participation. Trust between the
youngster and the leader is completely undermined, leaving the youngster
dependent to the flow of information generated from the leaders and not from
his/her autonomous and personal pursuit of truth.
The same is
applied when this youngster is holding his/her representatives accountable. How
can he/she proceed in this? What is the evidence at hand? Is it under the
disposal of everyone? Hence, the absence of transparency in diffusing
information leads to an increase in corruption, for it fosters an environment
not accustomed to accountability. This behavior, repeated excessively, creates
a culture of uninformed citizens who are unaware of their rights and duties,
and who pointlessly express without having solid arguments that would put their
words into actions. Additionally, one can no longer speak of freedom of
expression when binding measures have been put to limit the people’s access to
information. One can still walk, but what is the point of walking while
remaining in the same spot? This is exactly why the United Nations Convention
Against Corruption, ratified by the Lebanese Government, stipulates in its
Article 13 that the participation of individuals and groups should be followed
by measures that institutionalize transparency, right to access to information,
protection of freedom of expression, awareness, and anti-corruption bodies and
institutions.
The Access to
Information Law in Lebanon has been passed since 2017. Nevertheless, until
today it struggles to be properly implemented. It seems that the political will
remains absent. However, individuals, groups, and organizations, with the
support of a few decision makers, have been monitoring, proposing amendments,
raising awareness, advocating, and writing policies on matters related to
anti-corruption, transparency, and access to information. Furthermore,
following the October 17th manifestations, a new political language
has emerged among the Lebanese citizens followed by the creation of new
political spaces through which people exchange ideas and information. Do these phenomena,
backed by an International pressure on the Lebanese Government to conduct
reforms, constitute a window for a potential breakthrough in the Lebanese
habitus?
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