❊ A Case For Secret Ballots During PM Consultations

The events taking place nowadays in Lebanon are starting to show the limitations in the way with which we choose our Prime Minister.

In the current system, MPs effectively announce the name of the person they support for the position after “consulting” with the president (Why they even call this process “consultations” is beyond me. I’ve never heard of Any MP who changed his/her mind after the consultations). Problems arise — as we have seen with Mr. Jumblat — when threats to your person, family and constituents start to significantly influence your choice.

All of the world’s democracies involve political battles where arm-twisting, cajoling and bribing are the norm (Just witness President Obama’s travails ahead of the approval of his healthcare bill.) But in Lebanon, the threats to one’s safety are real and the bribes, like the stakes, are huge. Both sides are guilty, but threats involving militias taking hold of your city are especially heinous.

All this is to say: Why not make the process less stressful to all involved, more democratic and more transparent?

The MPs can submit secret ballots with the name of their choice for Prime Minister without having to fear retribution. The process can be very transparent. A live camera can be aimed at a translucent ballot box near the President. Then each MP submits his/her secret ballot live for everyone to see. In the end, the president counts the ballots publicly, perhaps in the presence of the press or even independent monitors, and declares the winner on the spot.