Letter from President Carter to Rotary Governor Bob Wilson on the important, upcoming elections in Lebanon -posted by Bill

Governor Bob, thanks for the update on your GSE team to the Middle East

Ten days from now, Lebanon will hold crucial parliamentary elections. Rosalynn and I will be there, on the ground, with a team of 50 international observers. Our objective is to provide an independent and impartial assessment of the electoral process and to help ensure that the vote is free, fair, and peaceful.

After years of civil strife and political instability, the elections on June 7 offer the people of Lebanon an extraordinary opportunity to re-establish a democratically elected government. My team will do our best to help make that happen.

As the election approaches, our delegation from The Carter Center will provide updates from Lebanon to keep you informed about the campaigns, access to the polls, vote counting, and any problems that might arise before, during, or after the vote.

The presence of the Carter Center’s team is one way to demonstrate the interest of the international community in Lebanon’s election. Join us as our observers keep a watchful eye on the vote.

Peaceful and credible elections are essential for Lebanon to re-establish democratic government and provide a foundation to address key long-term challenges in political reform, economic development, internal security, and peace in the region.

The Carter Center is committed to supporting the development of accountable, democratic governance in Lebanon and across the world. This will be our 76th election monitoring project since 1989, including countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

However, this election is very different for The Carter Center because this is the first time our team will provide instant online updates about our efforts. We will make sure that when the Lebanese people head to the polls on Sunday, June 7, their elections will be monitored not just by our delegation in Lebanon, but by millions of people all over the world.

I know that I speak for the whole Carter Center team in telling you that we are encouraged by your support for our efforts. With your help, we know we can serve as the eyes and ears of the world to let the Lebanese people know that the world is watching.
Sincerely,


Jimmy Carter