Corruption in Lebanon
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Corruption in Lebanon ({{langx|ar|الفساد في لبنان}}) magnified after the end of the civil war in 1990. It has been described as a case of "post-conflict corruption."{{Cite web |last=Adwan |first=Charles |date=2004 |title=Corruption in Reconstruction: The Cost Of National Consensus in Post-War Lebanon |s2cid=155822549 |language=en}} Once a taboo subject, now it is at the forefront of the public debate in Lebanon.{{Cite journal|last1=Diwan |first1=Ishac |last2=Haidar |first2=Jamal Ibrahim|date=2021-07-05|title=Political Connections Reduce Job Creation: Firm-level Evidence from Lebanon|language=en-US |journal=Journal of Development Studies |volume=57 |issue=8 |pages=1373–1396 |doi=10.1080/00220388.2020.1849622 |s2cid=229717871 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00220388.2020.1849622}} Anti-corruption sentiment has been one of the driving forces behind many of the large-scale Lebanese protests in recent history.
History
Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, which scored 180 countries on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean"), gave Lebanon a score of 22. When ranked by score, Lebanon ranked 154th among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector.{{Cite web |title=The ABCs of the CPI: How the Corruption Perceptions Index is calculated |url=https://www.transparency.org/en/news/how-cpi-scores-are-calculated |date=11 February 2025 |access-date=10 March 2025 |website=Transparency.org|language=en}} For comparison with regional scores, the average score among Middle Eastern and North African countries{{refn|Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen |group="Note"}} was 39. The highest score among Middle Eastern and North African countries was 68 and the lowest score was 12).{{Cite web |title=CPI 2024 for the Middle East & North Africa: Corruption linked to authoritarianism, but calls for reform emerging |url=https://www.transparency.org/en/news/cpi-2024-middle-east-north-africa-corruption-linked-authoritarianism-calls-reform-emerging |date=11 February 2025 |access-date=10 March 2025 |website=Transparency.org |language=en}} For comparison with worldwide scores, the average score was 43, the best score was 90 (ranked 1), and the worst score was 8 (ranked 180).{{Cite web |title=Corruption Perceptions Index 2024: Lebanon |url=https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2024/index/lbn |access-date=10 March 2025 |website=Transparency.org |language=en}}
According to Charles Adwan, Director of the Lebanese Transparency Association, "the extension of wartime elites into the post-war political system, a common feature in {{ill|post-conflict countries|fr|Société post-conflit}}, resulted in a system which removed all checks and balances and facilitated the diversion of state resources for private financial and political gain". 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 or bringing them to justice, despite widespread opposition.{{Cite news|date=2018|title=Lebanon's political system leads to paralysis and corruption|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2018/04/19/lebanons-political-system-leads-to-paralysis-and-corruption}}{{Cite magazine|title=Why Lebanon's People Are Turning on Their Politicians|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/why-lebanons-people-are-turning-on-their-politicians|last=Ferguson|first=Jane|magazine=The New Yorker|language=en|access-date=2020-05-05}} Lebanon's government works within the framework of confessionalism, with parliamentary seats and other government positions allocated by religious confession. Many members of government have been in power since the Lebanese Civil War, with mere shuffling of positions every election cycle. Many blame this system for the country's continued corruption.
Corruption happens on every level of society and is not strictly limited to high-level officials. As in many neighboring countries, using what is locally known as wasta or personal family and party connections to get favors like skipping a long queue, getting into a selective institution, or finding a job 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.{{Cite web|title=Wasta: How personal connections are denying citizens opportunities and basic services|url=https://www.transparency.org/news/feature/wasta_how_personal_connections_are_denying_citizens_opportunities_services|last=e.V|first=Transparency International|website=www.transparency.org|access-date=2020-05-05}}
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"{{Cite web|title=Protesters enforce Naameh dump closure |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2015/Jul-17/307104-activists-to-act-as-human-shields-in-naameh-landfill-closure.ashx|access-date=2020-05-05|website=www.dailystar.com.lb}} and the 2019–2020 Lebanese protests sparked by an increase in taxes{{Cite news|last=Barnard|first=Anne|date=2015-08-29|title=Lebanese Protesters Aim for Rare Unity Against Gridlocked Government|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/30/world/middleeast/lebanon-protests-garbage-government-corruption.html|access-date=2020-05-05|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web|date=2020-02-29|title=The rampant corruption spurring Lebanon protests|url=https://arab.news/4jdxn|access-date=2020-05-05|website=Arab News|language=en}}
Many anti-system parties run on anti-corruption platforms, most notably Beirut Madinati, which ran during the 2016 Beirut municipal election.{{Cite web|last=rsaleh|date=2016-08-16|title=Beirut Madinati|url=https://civilsociety-centre.org/party/beirut-madinati|access-date=2020-05-05|website=Civil Society Knowledge Centre|language=en}} Although the party lost, it gained unprecedented traction for an outsider party in Lebanon's otherwise rigid political status quo.{{Cite web|title=Beirut Madinati vows to continue work in the capital, says won 40 pct. of votes |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2016/May-10/351447-beirut-madinati-vows-to-continue-work-in-the-capital-says-won-40-pct-of-votes.ashx|access-date=2020-05-05|website=www.dailystar.com.lb|archive-date=2019-05-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529093131/http://www.dailystar.com.lb//News/Lebanon-News/2016/May-10/351447-beirut-madinati-vows-to-continue-work-in-the-capital-says-won-40-pct-of-votes.ashx|url-status=dead}} With 40% of the votes, it forced the March 14 Alliance and the March 8 Alliance, historical opponents, to form a coalition in order to win{{Cite web|title=Hariri indicates clean sweep of Beirut local elections |url=https://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2016/May-08/351173-hariri-indicates-clean-sweep-of-beirut-local-elections.ashx|access-date=2020-05-05|website=www.dailystar.com.lb}}
Contaminated fuel scandal
In July 2020, Lebanese company ZR Energy was indicted, as it had imported contaminated fuel from Algerian company Sonatrach, which costed $2bn worth of fuel deliveries per year.{{cite web |url=https://www.theafricareport.com/32969/two-corruption-cases-rattle-sonatrach-in-algeria-and-lebanon/ |title=Two corruption cases rattle Sonatrach in Algeria and Lebanon |website=The Africa Report |date=9 July 2020 }}{{cite web |url=https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1242085/sonatrachs-contract-to-supply-fuel-to-lebanon-ends-next-month-but-the-state-has-yet-to-find-a-replacement.html |title=Sonatrach's contract to supply fuel to Lebanon ends next month, but the state has yet to find a replacement |website=L'Orient-Le Jour |date=23 November 2020 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200506-lebanon-ex-energy-ministers-to-appear-in-court-over-tainted-fuel-imports/ |title=Lebanon: Ex-energy ministers to appear in court over tainted fuel imports |website=Middle East Monitor |date=6 May 2020 }}
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 around 300,000 people homeless, as well as costing an estimated $15bn in damages.{{Cite web |title=Conflict With Hezbollah in Lebanon |url=https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/political-instability-lebanon |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=Global Conflict Tracker |language=en}} The blast was caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that had been stored unsafely in a warehouse.{{Cite web|title=The unprecedented mass protests in Lebanon explained|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/11/lebanon-protests-explained/|access-date=2021-01-13|website=www.amnesty.org|date=11 November 2019 |language=en}} Many attribute the explosion to government negligence and corruption, and among its results were the eruption of protests all over Lebanon and the resignation of the entire cabinet, with the government remaining in a caretaker capacity.{{Cite web |title=Conflict With Hezbollah in Lebanon |url=https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/political-instability-lebanon |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=Global Conflict Tracker |language=en}} Domestic investigations into the explosion have been repeatedly delayed, obstructed and blocked by Hezbollah leaders, by threatening the presiding judge and orchestrating political manipulations.{{Cite web |title=Lebanon: Freedom in the World 2023 Country Report |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/lebanon/freedom-world/2023 |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=Freedom House |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2021-10-18 |title=Hezbollah Rattled by Beirut Port Blast Probe |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/hezbollah-rattled-by-port-blast-probe/6274313.html |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=Voice of America |language=en}}{{Cite web |title='We will remove you', Hezbollah official told Beirut blast judge {{!}} Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/we-will-remove-you-hezbollah-official-told-beirut-blast-judge-2021-09-29/}} The two main foci of the investigation were Ali Hassan Khalil, a former finance minister and Ghazi Zaiter, a former public works minister, both belonging to the Amal movement, strongly allied with Hezbollah.{{Cite news |date=2021-10-14 |title=Beirut port blast: The tensions around the investigation |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-58913864 |access-date=2024-12-02 |language=en-GB}} Senior officials refused to show up for investigation, and four years after the explosion there were still no arrests made.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-04 |title=Four years after the Beirut port blast, many decry stalled justice as regional tensions spike |url=https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-beirut-port-explosion-blast-investigation-0231478255e4abe483f9347cb4309ffd |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=AP News |language=en}}
Anti-corruption organizations
There are some NGO's fighting corruption in Lebanon:{{Cite web|last=Mouallem|first=Atie Joseph El|date=2018-10-03|title=NGO's fighting corruption in Lebanon|url=https://medium.com/@atiejelmouallem/ngos-fighting-corruption-in-lebanon-f92bc534980c|access-date=2021-01-13|website=Medium|language=en}}
- Lebanese Transparency Association, which is [https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/lebanon# Transparency International's] chapter in Lebanon, focuses on curbing corruption and promoting the principles of good governance.{{Cite web|title=LTA {{!}} Lebanese Transparency Association|url=http://www.transparency-lebanon.org/|access-date=2021-01-13|website=www.transparency-lebanon.org}}
- Sakker El Dekkene: aims to raise public awareness about the dangers of corruption and its high cost to the economy, and to promote a culture of integrity and good governance in Lebanon.{{Cite web|title=LinkedIn Login, Sign in|url=https://www.linkedin.com/|access-date=2021-01-13|website=LinkedIn|language=en-US}}
- Junior Chamber International (JCI): a non-profit organization of 200,000 young people, ages 18 to 40, who are in Lebanon.{{Cite web|title=JCI Lebanon|url=https://www.facebook.com/JCILebanon/|access-date=2021-01-13|website=www.facebook.com|language=en}}
- [http://transparency-lebanon.org/en/whatwedodetails/1/13/0 The Lebanese Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126171701/http://transparency-lebanon.org/En/WhatWeDoDetails/1/13/0 |date=2021-01-26 }} (LALAC): an initiative launched by the Lebanese Transparency Association-No Corruption. It aims to inform citizens about their legal rights and encourages victims and witnesses to take action against cases of corruption.{{Cite web|title=Lebanese Advocacy and Legal Advice Center (LALAC)|url=http://transparency-lebanon.org/En/WhatWeDoDetails/1/13/0|access-date=2021-01-13|website=transparency-lebanon.org|archive-date=2021-01-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126171701/http://transparency-lebanon.org/En/WhatWeDoDetails/1/13/0|url-status=dead}}
Notes
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References
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Bibliography
- {{Cite web |last=Adwan |first=Charles |date=2004 |title=Corruption in Reconstruction: The Cost Of National Consensus in Post-War Lebanon |s2cid=155822549 |language=en}}, https://www.anti-corruption.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Corruption-in-reconstruction-TIRI-Adwan.pdf
- Adwan, Charles/Sahyoun, Rabee’, 2001: « Post-war profiteering » in Lebanon: The story of Reconstruction, The Lebanese Transparency Association, 2001, http://www.transparency-lebanon.org/Archives/Post-war%20Profiteering.PDF {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051115065323/http://transparency-lebanon.org/Archives/Post-war%20Profiteering.PDF |date=2005-11-15 }} (Dec. 5, 2006)
{{Lebanon topics}}