BEIRUT: A top lawmaker and minister have urged the implementation of statute to increase government accountability through the creation of an official watchdog, or ombudsman. Implementing the Ombudsman Law of 2005 would put Lebanon on the level of developed countries, said Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar.
Najjar made the remarks at a conference on the ombudsman issue at the social sciences campus of Universite Saint-Joseph in Beirut, joined by Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud.
Both men urged the next government to implement the four-year-old law, which would create the post of ombudsman; a mediator between the government and the general public.
Najjar explained that while the Ombudsman Law was issued in February 2005, it has yet to see implementation, although a draft law for this purpose was recently prepared and submitted to the authorities.
The minister said that since Lebanon lacked experience with regard to the legislation, officials here sought the help of countries like France and Morocco in preparing the draft.
Baroud said he spoke from the point of view of any Lebanese citizen, urging all ministers – irrespective of the formation of the new cabinet – to enact the Ombudsman Law.
Baroud also remarked on the double meaning of the word wasit in Arabic, which means both middleman or mediator, as well as ombudsman.
He said there were many mediators (wasit) in Lebanon and that they functioned on various levels – a reference to influence-peddlers and others – but there was no ombudsman (wasit) of the Republic, to protect citizens’ interests.
Mediators of the Republic, Ombudsmen of Human Rights, Parliamentary Ombudsmen, Prosecutors of Justice, People’s Advocates and Civic Defenders are some of the names that have been given to the post, which resolves conflicts between people and the state, or a private organization.
They have the authority to make recommendations to concerned authorities in order to solve problems and to suggest proposals for enhancing the public sector.
The secretary general of the Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen, Jean Paul Delevoye, and the association’s president, the ombudsman of Morocco, Moulay Mohammad Iraqi, were also present.
“Every country suffers from democracy problems and we should help these countries to implement ombudsmen laws,” said Delevoye. – The Daily Star
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