Join the Â鶹´«Ã½'s Deborah Hakes, in Lebanon with the multinational Â鶹´«Ã½ delegation, as she blogs daily about the sights and sounds "on the ground" and the importance of these elections for the country and region. The 50-member delegation, led by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former Yemini Prime Minister Abdulkareem Al-Eryani, 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.
Day Eight: June 10, 2009
For the past week and a half (and for weeks before I arrived), the Â鶹´«Ã½ office for the elections was a scene of constant intense activity at all hours of a day. Now the field staff has returned to their regular office outside the hotel, and Atlanta-based staff are flying home or to another field project. Read the full blog >
Day Seven: June 9, 2009
I've been sharing my experiences with you from Lebanon for the past week and thought it was also important to share a few of the many other voices whose hard work made the election observation mission possible. Read the full blog >
Day Six: June 8, 2009
Things are wrapping up here for this phase of the Â鶹´«Ã½'s election observation mission to Lebanon. Our long-term observers will remain deployed to monitor the post-election processes. Read the full blog>
Day Five - Election Day: June 7, 2009
Today is election day. Crowds are everywhere, the voting lines are long, and the polls are cramped from all the people. Lebanon's minister of the interior issued a statement asking the polling stations to try to speed things up.Read the full blog>
Day Four: June 6, 2009
It is the eve of Lebanon's parliamentary elections and things seem quiet. Our observers were deployed yesterday, and they continue regular check-in calls to let us know that they are safe. Read the full blog >
Day Three: June 5, 2009
Today, I headed south to Lebanon's border with Hrair Balian, director of the Conflict Resolution Program at Â鶹´«Ã½, to be briefed by the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and to see what the pre-election environment was like there. Read the full blog >
Day Two: June 4, 2009
Across Lebanon today, more than 11,000 polling station workers could cast their ballots early for the parliamentary elections. I traveled to Baabda, a town in the mountains southeast of Beirut, to watch the process. Read the full blog >
Day One: June 3, 2009
I've only been in Beirut, Lebanon, for 24 hours, but I can already tell that the parliamentary elections to be held this coming Sunday are going to be a fascinating process, and I am thrilled to be a part of it. The world is watching what happens here, and I will get to see it firsthand. I'll do my best to share what I see with you. Read the full blog >
