The First Secret Ballot

Three years ago pro-Western President Camille Chamoun baldly rigged the parliamentary elections in Lebanon and brought on an insurrection by his Nasser-minded opponents. Result: U.S. troops came in, Chamoun went out, and neutralist General Fuad Chehab replaced him for a six-year term. Last week the Lebanese were in the throes of their first post-revolt election. And for the first time in the coun try's 14-year history, they enjoyed the benefit of a secret ballot.

As usual, the voting was staggered over four Sundays to permit the government to concentrate police and army on one area at a time. As usual, the Parliament seats were allotted according to religious sects, a device designed to avert the religious strife that ravaged Lebanon for years. Figuring that Christians outnumber Moslems 6 to 5. 45 places of the Parliament's 99 seats were apportioned to the Moslems (subdivided into three sects) and 54 to Christians (30 Maronite Roman Catholic, eleven Greek Orthodox, six Greek Catholic, four Armenian Orthodox, one Armenian Catholic, one Protestant, one miscellaneous minorities). This convention distinguishes Lebanon as the world's only free nation in which the complexion of Parliament can always be predicted.

Business as Usual. But the businesslike Lebanese were unwilling to forsake completely their hallowed tradition of vote buying. Agents from Egypt and neighboring Syria were bankrolling U.A.R.-lining candidates, on occasion subsidized two opposing coreligionists. One candidate, who feared that all the Moslems would vote for his opponent, bid $16 for every Moslem election card--without which no one could vote. Another candidate said he was offered $7,000 to quit the race for the less than $6,000-a-year Deputy's job. With pay so small, why was the bribe so high? Explained one candid hopeful: "Any Deputy is sure to be invited to become a bank director--at $4,000 a year. Also, there's always the wayward young man whose parents will pay $1,500 to spring him from jail. And then a Deputy gets immunity from police searches of his car. Any time he drives out to the country, he can load up with $1,000 worth of hashish."

Bounces & Returns. With those prizes at stake, some bombs and bullets flew, and at least ten persons lay dead after political quarrels. Yet the secret ballot was getting results. Rural voters took the opportunity to eject two scions of old feudal clans from their traditional seats. Ex-President Chamoun, who accused his successors of rigging this election to bar him from a comeback, squeaked through to win a Maronite Christian seat. Also elected was a kingpin in the 1958 revolt that toppled Chamoun, moody Kamal Jumblatt. Another leader of that revolt, ex-Premier Saeb Salam, was confidently expected to be a victor.

Greater than the election's effect on Lebanese politics was its impact on the people. Said one mountain farmer in Aleih: "Today I was ready to fight anyone who offered me 10, 20 or 50 pounds to buy my vote. We have finally understood that each one is a free man--and it was that particular pride which touched me a while ago as, hidden in the booth, I placed in the envelope the names which pleased me most."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.