www.lpmonitor.

org

an eye on parliament
An information gateway for citizens
to learn about their Parliamentary
Representatives’ standpoints and their
performance on public policy issues.
Bridging the Gap between Citizens
and Members of Parliament
The Lebanese Parliamentary Monitor (LPMonitor) is an information gateway for citizens to learn
about their MPs’ standpoints and their performance on public policy issues.
Access to information will encourage Lebanese to hold their representatives accountable.
Lebanon follows a democratic parliamentary ■ The lack of transparency about the with their representatives on policy issues. The
system whereby the citizens elect their parliament’s activities, being committee meetings, extensive online data, the grassroots sessions,
representatives and have the right to access voting records or stances on public policies. university presentations, and public hearings are
all information in regards to all aspects of Knowing the performance and stances of elected all techniques employed by LPMonitor to work
parliamentary activities. However, a gap exists officials is the basic right of all citizens and a key towards a more participatory democracy.
in Lebanon between Lebanese citizens and their element in ensuring that they can make informed The content of the online database -
Members of Parliament (MPs) for the following decisions. Furthermore laws are more likely to be www.lpmonitor.org - (in Arabic and English)
reasons: spontaneously applied, when people understand will allow for the comparison between MPs
■ The lack of open channels of parliamentary processes and manage to express on public policy issues and will also prove
communication and information, which their needs and priorities. Having access to that common grounds exist between MPs
leads to misunderstanding, confusion, and information reduces the gap between citizens representing rivaling political parties. We also
misinterpretation. and public institutions leads to the enhancement aim to facilitate communication between MPs
■ The lack of a centralized, easily accessible of citizens’ trust in the political system and the and citizens. Online access allows all Lebanese
source of information about MPs’ activities; this improvement of policy makers’ performance. citizens, in Lebanon and abroad, to access
means that citizens are incapable of accessing information and engage with their MPs on their
information that would allow them to be aware of The Monitor aims to provide an information priority public policy issues. .
what their MP is doing, which in turn means that platform that empowers citizens to track the
they cannot form an objective opinion or make performance of their representatives and open
informed choices. up dialogue spaces so that citizens can interact
A brief tour of the Lebanese Section 2 – Parliamentary Committees
LPMonitor also has a section on the
parliamentary committees where citizens can
w w w. l p m o n i to r.o rg /en /Vi ew pol i c i es. ph p
Section 5- Statistical Data
LPMonitor provides statistics about the MPs’
profile and background and others about their

Parliamentary Monitor easily identify the members of each committee

and then quickly navigate to the MP’s profile page
for further details. Screenshot 2 (below) shows
an example of the committee pages.
To ensure greater informed dialogue between citizens and MPs, LPMonitor works on various w w w. l p m o n i to r.o rg /en /co m m i ttee.
ph p? co m m i ttee =Fi nan ce % 2 0 an d % 2 0 Bu dget
levels. The monitoring of MPs and the creation of an extensive online database are the heart of the
project, while other aspects include outreach and information sessions to raise awareness on the
necessity of, and how to use, the information.
recourse before the constitutional council), as
parliamentary performance. Statistics help
identify the most active parliamentarians and the
issues that the Parliament worked on the most.
Screenshot bottom left.
Section Six – Fundamental Texts
Citizens should have easy access to the Constitution
and the Parliament bylaws to better understand
how the Parliament functions and the constitutional
duties of their elected representatives.

w w w.lpmonitor.org / en/ View mp s. ph p?sor t = 3

well as the MP’s activity outside the Parliament,
This is done through: as reported in the media. Citizens can have access LPMonitor is an ongoing project that requires
Section 3 – Public Policies to each MP’s opinion and position on public continuous effort to collect and disseminate
■ Regional public hearings: whereby MPs and All data collected was incorporated into the Users can access the public policies page, showing policies and topics on the legislative agenda. The information. Bridging the gap needs citizens to
citizens discuss relevant local public policy online database whereupon it was divided into the monitored topics. The public policies section details of these sub-categories are discussed in the optimize the use of this information as a tool
issues; different sections to suit different interests in allows the visitor to identify the MPs who were methodology section. Snapshot 4 presents the six to enhance governmental transparency and
■ Information sessions with journalists, regards to parliamentary activities: involved in the parliamentary activities pertaining areas of parliamentary activity that are scrutinized accountability. LPMonitor will continue to
academics & students, and MPs; to the chosen public policy issue. Screenshot 2 by LPMonitor. report information about parliamentary activity,
■ Publications that summarize findings and Section 1- MP profiles (above right) displays the list of public policies.
w w w. l p m o n i to r.o rg /en /par l iam ent stat . ph p? i d =3 2
constantly update MPs’ records, follow the
monitoring experiences; This sections allows citizens and various policy-making process, and measure the MP’s
■ Regional focus groups to identify local stakeholders to identify MPs’ political affiliation, Section 4 – Parliamentary Activity performance through statistics and quantitative
priority public policies ; committee membership and displays their phone This section is divided into several sub-categories studies.
■ Interviews with MPs to identify their numbers and email addresses to facilitate swift representing five of the main parliamentary tasks
standpoints regarding public policies; communication. Visitors can easily search MPs according (participation in the Parliament’s
■ Regular sessions with NGOs to enhance according to districts, party/bloc, or simply find general assembly meetings; participation in
the role of the monitor in providing relevant a complete list of the MPs, sorted in alphabetical the parliamentary committee meetings; law
information for advocacy campaigns. order, and check their profiles. Screenshot 1 (right) proposals; questions and motions to the cabinet;
displays the webpage where the complete list of
Lebanese MPs is published.
 LPMonitor Code of Ethics
To uphold a high and consistent quality of work, all LPMonitor-related activities are done in
accordance with the following principles:

1. Collect all information in a scientific and consistent manner, according to the announced methodology;

2. Maintain an impartial and independent stance towards all political blocs;

3. Commit to working only on public policies;

4. Be inclusive to all individuals and institutions, while ensuring that our integrity is maintained;

5. Maintain a high level of transparency throughout the project’s activities;

6. Follow democratic procedures when working with institutions;

7. Maintain personal accountability in our work and actions;

8. Uphold attitudes and behaviors demonstrating respect for all team members and institutions.

Learn for yourself..

 ■
The Pillars of LPMonitor
Positions, statements and other activities
reported in the media; i.e. MPs’ activities
and standpoints in extra-parliamentary
circumstances, as they appeared in the media.
The only way to ensure the achievement of LPMonitor’s objectives is through effective tools and
LPMonitor uses two categories of sources
methods. LPMonitor follows an objective methodology to collect, sort and verify the gathered
information. LPMonitor targets members of the current parliamentary legislature, elected in May-
from which information is gathered:
This citizen’s
perspective
1) Direct source:, interviews were arranged
June 2005 (and in the subsequent by-elections) but does not report the activities of MPs who with MPs to present the project’s objectives
and obtain information on their activity and
currently occupy ministerial positions, as ministers and MPs have different constitutional duties. standpoints on public policies. A unified sample
of questions was adopted in all interviews with
Research focuses on the MPs’ standpoints and MPs’ participation in the MPs to ensure consistency and clarity. Questions
activities exclusively related to public policy parliamentary committees; i.e. the positions, were assembled after a series of meetings with
issues, without tackling their political opinions. statements and activities of MPs in one or more civil society organizations. As a result of these
The independence of LPMonitor has ensured the meetings of the parliamentary committee. meetings, five public policies were identified as
objectivity of the research process. Information is ■ Law proposals (bills) submitted by MPs; i.e. priority policies for 2006-2007:
sorted into six categories of parliamentary activity, the law proposals officially submitted by MPs
referring to one of the MP’s main constitutional during the monitored period, whether they were Question 1: What are the public policies
duties (participation in the Parliament’s passed by Parliament or not. that the MP considers as his/her priority?
general assembly meetings; participation in ■ Questions and motions addressed by MPs to
the parliamentary committee meetings; law the Cabinet; i.e. the questions and motions that Question 2: What are the public policy-
proposals; questions and motions to the cabinet; the MPs submitted to the government during the related projects that the MP plans to put
recourse before the constitutional council, as well official questions and motion sessions of forward if Lebanon was in a more stable
as the MP’s activity outside the Parliament, as the Parliament. political situation?
reported in the media). ■ Recourse before the Constitutional Council
filed by MPs; i.e. the recourse filed by MPs before Question 3: What is the MP’s positions
■ MPs’ participation in the Parliament’s the Constitutional Council challenging the on the public policies that civil society
general assembly meetings; i.e. the positions and constitutionality of laws that were passed by representatives view as priorities? (The
statements of MPs who expressed their views and the Parliament. priority policies are: Electoral reform;
opinions in one or more parliamentary general Justice; Security; Public liberties and
assembly meetings. human rights; and Social services)
 3

5 6
13%
2) Indirect sources include the minutes of There are more than 50 statistics thats are divided We also sorted parliamentary activities according A monitoring of the overall parliamentary blocs’ 7
the Parliament’s general assembly meetings, into five categories: to governorates where the MPs won their activities were monitored and summarized into
the “Parliamentary Life” magazine and the
“Parliamentary Bulletin”, which are jointly issued
by the Parliament and the United Nations
■
■
Parliament Statistics
General Assembly Statistics
elections, such as the chart
Bekbelow
aa (number of
questions to the cabinetBeirut
December 31, 2005): N orth
from July 1, 2005 to
Reformofand
a chart such as the one below (number MPchange Bloc
questions to the cabinet per blocDevelopement
in 2006): and Liberation Everyone can Bek aa
Beirut

be involved ...
Future Movement
Development
Number ofProgram (UNDP).
Questions to theThese ■ Law Proposals Submitted by MPs Number of Questions toLoyalty
the to the Resistance
N orth
publications include the MPs’
Cabinet per Bloc in 2006 official positions ■ Parliamentary CommitteesPercentage of Interventions South
Cabinet per Bloc in 2006Democratic Gathering
South
as recorded by the Parliament’s administration. ■ Per Governate
Questions to the Government Mt. Lebanon
N u m b er o f Q u estio n s P er R eg io n
Kornet Shehwan
N u m b er o f Q u estio n s P er RMt. Lebanon
eg io n
Indirect sources1also include information 11%
collected1by1the press. Diversification12 1 1 Tripoli
of sources A small sample would be the chart below which 2 35% 9 1 12Bloc 2 9
is an important factor to ensure the objectivity 13%per MP
displays the number of law proposals
of LPMonitor. Comprehensive data collection submitted and/or discussed between July 2005 2 2
was obtained from the following newspapers: and March 2007. Top Five Topics
An-Nahar, Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Akhbar and Sada in March-14 MP's’ Interventions
5
al-Balad. Public policy positions during General5Assembly meetings
Number of law proposals13%
per MP 18%
3 16 3
In spite of the confidentiality of the minutes 16%
6 14
of parliamentary committee meetings, most 14%

Number of interventions
5
newspapers5 report the main activities6of 12
5 6
13% 12%
each committee. Therefore, the press data on 4 10 7 7
parliamentary committees is monitored, and 3 8
10%
Reform
integrated into the and change
LPMonitor’ Bloc
s database, Bek aa Bek aa Reform and change Bloc 8% Bek aa
2 6
provided that information
Developement aboutandattendance
Liberation Beirut Beirut Developement and Liberation 6% Beirut
1
was available. Future Movement N orth
4
Future Movement
N orth 4% N orth
Different forms Loyalty
of statistics are available and cover
to the Resistance
0 2
Loyalty to the Resistance
South
Ghassan Moukheiber

South South
Boutros Harb

Naamatallah Abi Nasr

Atef Majdalani
Bahige Tabbara
2%
MPs’ participation in parliamentary activities 0 MPs
as well as public Democratic
policy issues Gathering
broken down Mt. Lebanon Mt. Lebanon Democratic Gathering 0% Mt. Lebanon

Hassan Yaacoub

Assem Araji

Hussein Husseini

Ali Hassan Khalil

Hussein Hajj Hassan

Abbas Hachem

Anwar Al-Khalil
Nicholas Fattouche
Boutros Harb

Naamatallah Abi Nasr

Salim Aoun
Ghassan Moukheiber

Bahige Tabbara

Robert Ghanem

Ghazi Zeaiter
Kornet Shehwan Kornet Shehwan

Justice & Judicial System

Security & Security Forces

nal Affairs, Culture, & Sports

ousing & Real Estate Policy
according to regional and political criteria. The

Macroeconomic Policies
statistics are based on the
Tripoli BlocLPMonitor’s findings Tripoli Bloc
and UNDP publications (The Parliamentary
Bulletin and The Parliamentary Life).
Top Five Topics Top Five Topics
in March-14 MP's’ Interventions in March-14 MP's’ Interventions
ssembly meetings Public policy positions during General Assembly meetings
Number of law proposals per MP 18% Top Six Topics 18%
 Beirut Beirut
Bek aa N orth Bek aa Reform and change Bloc Future Movement Reform and change Bloc N orth
Bek aa Bek aa
Beirut South Beirut Developement and Liberation Loyalty to the Resistance
Developement and Liberation South
Beirut Beirut
N orth Mt. Lebanon N orth Future Movement Democratic Gathering
Future Movement Mt. Lebanon
Other statistics focus on the MPs’ interventions N orth during general
The number of interventions Viewers can also see whichN topics
orth were tackled
Loyalty to the Resistance Kornet Shehwan Loyalty to the Resistance
duringSouth
general assembly meetings. A quick South assembly meetings is alsoSouth
broken down by Southpolitical alliance
the most by MPs from a specific
Mt.reveals
Lebanon Mt. Lebanon Democratic Gathering Tripoli Bloc Democratic Gathering
glimpse who were the most active MPs regions: The LPMonitor Mt.team also provided
Lebanon in their interventions during
Mt.general
Lebanon
during the general assembly meetings of the Kornet Shehwan Kornet Shehwan statistics of overall governorate MPs’ assembly meetings:
Parliament (from July 2005 till November 2006): Tripoli Bloc Tripoli Bloc interventions during Assembly Meetings:
Top Five Topics
in March-14 MP's’ Interventions
Public policy positions during General Assembly meetings
oposals per MP Top Five Topicsof Interventions 18%
Percentage Top Five Topics NumberTopof Questions
Six Topicsto the
16
in March-14 MP's’ Interventions16%
Per Governate in March-14 MP's’ Interventions Cabinetinper Bloc in 2006
Opposition MPs’ Interventions
Public policy positions during General
14
AssemblyPublic
meetings
policy positions during General Assembly meetings
umber of law proposals per MP 18% 11%
14% 18% Top Six Topics 12% Top Six Topics
1 1

Number of interventions
16 12 16
16% 12% 35% 16%
in Opposition MPs’ Interventions
1 10% in Opposition
12 MPs’ Interventions
14 10 14 13%
14% 10% 14% 12% 8% 12%
Number of interventions

Number of interventions
12 8 12
12% 8% 12% 10% 6% 10%
10 6 10
10% 6% 10% 8% 4% 8%
8 4 8 5
8% 4% 8% 6% 2% 6%
6 2 6 13%
Naamatallah Abi Nasr
Atef Majdalani
Bahige Tabbara

6% 2% 6% 0%
4 0 4 MPs 4% 4%

Fighting Corruption & Administrative Development

Macroeconomic Policies

Security & Security Forces

International Relations

Educational Affairs, Culture, & Sports

& Judicial System
0%

Nasr Yaacoub

Assem Araji

Hassan Husseini

Ali Hassan Khalil

Hussein Hajj Hassan

Khalil Hachem

Anwar Al-Khalil
YaacoubFattouche
Boutros Harb
4% 4%

Naamatallah Abi Nasr

Salim Aoun
Moukheiber

Bahige Tabbara

Robert Ghanem

Ghazi Zeaiter
2% 2%
2 2

Justice & Judicial System

Security & Security Forces

& Sports
Housing & Real Estate Policy
Macroeconomic Policies
Ghassan Moukheiber

Boutros Harb

Naamatallah Abi Nasr

Atef Majdalani
Bahige Tabbara

2% 2% 0% 0%
MPs MPs 5 6
0 0 13%

Development
Macroeconomic Policies

Macroeconomic Policies
Security & Security Forces

International Relations

Educational Affairs, Culture, & Sports

Security & Security Forces

International Relations
System

Justice & Judicial System

0% 0%

Hussein Hajj Hussein

Hassan Yaacoub
Assem Araji

Assem Araji
Hussein Husseini

Ali HassanAbbas

Hussein Husseini

Ali Hassan Khalil

Hassan
Abbas Hachem

Abbas Hachem
Anwar Al-Khalil

Anwar Al-Khalil
Nicholas Fattouche

Nicholas Fattouche

Hassan
Boutros Harb

Boutros Harb

Naamatallah Abi Nasr

Salim Aoun

Salim Aoun
Ghassan Moukheiber

Ghassan Moukheiber
Bahige Tabbara

Bahige Tabbara
Robert Ghanem

Robert Ghanem
Ghazi Zeaiter

Ghazi Zeaiter
HassanNicholas

System

Security & Security Forces

Justice & Judicial System

Security & Security Forces

Educational Affairs, Culture, & Sports

Educational Affairs, Culture, & Sports

Housing & Real Estate Policy

Housing & Real Estate Policy

Culture,
Macroeconomic Policies

Macroeconomic Policies
Ghassan
Reform and change Bloc

Naamatallah Abi
Bek aa

& Judicial

Justice
& JudicialHajj
Beirut Developement and Liberation

Affairs,

Fighting Corruption & Administrative

Justice Hussein
N orth Future Movement

Justice
Loyalty to the Resistance

Educational
South
Mt. Lebanon Democratic Gathering
Kornet Shehwan
Tripoli Bloc
Get Involved
Ultimately, LPMonitor envisions a consolidation of democratic
principles in a society that is informed about its representatives’
positions, and elects them according to their stances.
Such civil society vigilance will encourage MPs
to become more responsive to important policy
demands. LPMonitor’s work aims to allow
citizens to play an active role in improving the
way Parliament serves them.
On www.lpmonitor.org you will find up-to-date
information about legislation, oversight and
policy-making.
Power corrupts if it is left without checks and
balances. Only citizen oversight can guarantee
the limitation of power and ensure that legislators
are working for the public interest. LPMonitor
counts on your involvement in this project.
Types and levels of involvement may range
from volunteer time, donations, and extending
our outreach. The greatest form of involvement
remains the use of this website as a platform to
This pamphlet is made possible by the generous support of the
American people through the United States Agency for Interna-
tional Development (USAID) Transparency & Accountability
Grants Project managed by AMIDEAST. The contents are the
responsibility of Nahwa al-Muwatiniya and do not necessarily
reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government or
AMIDEAST.
influence policy-making in Lebanon with the
holding of elected representatives accountable.
There are different ways for a person to
contribute to the LPMonitor:
■ Participate in the data collection and
monitoring process;
■ Publish articles and studies using Without the combined effort and true devotion of all of our members and volunteers,
LPMonitor’s findings; this project would not have been possible. Thank you for your time, thank you for your
■ Translate data from Arabic to English;
■ Organize meetings in your towns and dedication but most of all thank you for being there when it is most needed.
villages and information sessions
about LPMonitor;
■ Become a trained interviewer to collect the
standpoints and priorities of MPs;
■ Email us your opinion and what additional
information you would like to know about
the LPMonitor.

For more information on how to Get Involved, give us a call at 03-562478 or visit our website www.lpmonitor.org.
see for yourself
Nahwa al-Muwatiniya
www.na-am.org
tel/fax: 961 1 354466
mobile: 961 3 562478

info@lpmonitor.org
www.lpmonitor.org