Corruption in Lebanon

Corruption in Lebanon (Arabic: الفساد في لبنان) always existed in Lebanon, but was magnified after the end of the civil war in 1990. Once a taboo, now it is at the forefront of the public debate in Lebanon.

Extent

Transparency International's CPI gives Lebanon a score of 28%, putting the country at a rank of 137 out of the 180 nations surveyed by the index...[1]

Lebanon's government works within the framework of Confessionalism (politics), with parliamentary seats and others government positions allocated by religious confession. Many members of government have been in power since the Lebanese Civil War, with a simple shuffling of positions every election cycle. Many blame this system for the country's continued corruption. Government officials reportedly often award contracts to friends and family leading to many of the country's problems like daily power cuts. Many working class Lebanese citizens rely on economic assistance from their party which stops them from speaking up against the system, despite widespread opposition.[2][3]

Corruption happens on every level of society and is not strictly limited to high level officials. As in many neighboring countries, using personal family and party connections to get favors like skipping a long queue, getting into a selective institution, or finding a job; known locally as wasta; is common practice and has become the social norm. Although many believe that using wasta is understandable for each individual case as institutions are often inefficient without it, it is also agreed upon that the social phenomenon deepens economic inequality.[4]

Public reaction and opposition

Anti-corruption sentiment has been one of the driving forces behind many of the large scale Lebanese protests in recent history. Notably the 2015–2016 Lebanese protests sparked by the closure of a waste dump without a plan which triggered a "garbage crisis"[5] and the 2019–2020 Lebanese protests sparked by an increase in taxes[6][7]

Many anti-system parties run on an anti-corruption platforms, most notably Beirut Madinati, which ran during the 2016 Beirut municipal election.[8] Although the party lost, it gained unprecedented traction for an outsider party in lebanon's otherwise rigid political status quo.[9] With 40% of the votes, it forced the March 14 Alliance and the March 8 Alliance, historical opponents, to form a coalition in order win[10]

Beirut port explosion

On 4 August 2020, an explosion at the port of Beirut killed at least 190 people, injured more than 6,500, and left an around 300,000 people homeless. The blast was caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that had been stored unsafely in a warehouse.[11]

Anti-corruption organizations

There are some NGO's fighting corruption in Lebanon:[12]

References

  1. "Transparency International - Lebanon". www.transparency.org. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  2. "Lebanon's political system leads to paralysis and corruption". The Economist. 2018.
  3. Ferguson, Jane. "Why Lebanon's People Are Turning on Their Politicians". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  4. e.V, Transparency International. "Wasta: How personal connections are denying citizens opportunities and basic services". www.transparency.org. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  5. "Protesters enforce Naameh dump closure | News, Lebanon News | THE DAILY STAR". www.dailystar.com.lb. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  6. Barnard, Anne (2015-08-29). "Lebanese Protesters Aim for Rare Unity Against Gridlocked Government". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  7. "The rampant corruption spurring Lebanon protests". Arab News. 2020-02-29. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  8. rsaleh (2016-08-16). "Beirut Madinati". Civil Society Knowledge Centre. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  9. "Beirut Madinati vows to continue work in the capital, says won 40 pct. of votes | News, Lebanon News | THE DAILY STAR". www.dailystar.com.lb. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  10. "Hariri indicates clean sweep of Beirut local elections | News, Lebanon News | THE DAILY STAR". www.dailystar.com.lb. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  11. "The unprecedented mass protests in Lebanon explained". www.amnesty.org. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  12. Mouallem, Atie Joseph El (2018-10-03). "NGO's fighting corruption in Lebanon". Medium. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  13. "LTA | Lebanese Transparency Association". www.transparency-lebanon.org. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  14. "LinkedIn Login, Sign in". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  15. "JCI Lebanon". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  16. "Lebanese Advocacy and Legal Advice Center (LALAC)". transparency-lebanon.org. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
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