A multinational Carter Center delegation will observe Lebanon's June 7 parliamentary elections, monitoring polling sites throughout the country's 25 qadas (districts). Led by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former Yemini Prime Minister Abdulkareem Al-Eryani, the 50 member delegation includes elected officials, electoral and human rights experts, regional specialists, and political and civic leaders from more than 20 countries in North America, Africa, Europe, South America, Asia, and the Middle East.

Daily blogs from Lebanon will be posted by Carter Center public information staffer Deborah Hakes, from June 3-10, and will include on-the-ground reporting, photos, and video.  Read the blogs >

A Carter Center office was established in Beirut in late-January, and in April, The Carter Center deployed six long-term observers, who have been monitoring the electoral process leading up to parliamentary elections.  They have met with election officials; political party and civil society representatives, including domestic observation groups; members of the international community; and other stakeholders to form an assessment.

"The Carter Center welcomes the opportunity to observe Lebanon's electoral process," said David Carroll, director of the Carter Center's Democracy Program. "We hope that our presence will contribute to a peaceful, transparent, and credible electoral process, and will support Lebanese efforts to promote key reforms for future elections."

The Carter Center has been a pioneer of election observation, monitoring 75 elections in 29 countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia since 1989, and forging many of the techniques now common to the field.  The Center conducts its activities in a nonpartisan, professional manner in accordance with applicable law and international standards for election monitoring set forth in the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, adopted at the United Nations in 2005.

Read more:

8 June 2009
Carter Center Commends Lebanon's Successful Elections; Notes Shortcomings and Encourages Continued Reform

1 June 2009
Jimmy Carter to Co-Lead Carter Center Delegation to Observe Lebanon's June 7 Elections

29 May 2009
Carter Center Commends Lebanon's Constitutional Council Appointments; Urges Further Clarification of Election Procedures

21 April 2009
Carter Center Launches Election Observation Mission to Lebanon