To improve the situation of persons with disabilities in different aspects of their lives, mainly their right to political participation, LUPD launched in 2005 the “Haqqi” (My Right) Campaign – The National Campaign for Recognizing the Political Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Lebanon” calling for the right of citizens with physical, visual, hearing, and intellectual disabilities to participate in the electoral process with independence and dignity, in compliance with Article 98 of Law No. 220/2000. Since then, the campaign successfully introduced Article 96 into the electoral laws of 2008 and 2017 that specifically addressed the right of people with disabilities to accessible elections. Article 96 stipulates the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities’ (MOIM) obligation to account for the needs of people with disabilities when organizing elections, upon consultation with the relevant associations. Notwithstanding the importance of this article, organizations for the rights of persons with disabilities in Lebanon expressed several reservations about it, mainly pertaining to mistaken concepts, offensive language and disregard of decree No. 2214/2009 related to procedures and measures for facilitating the participation of persons with disabilities in the parliamentary and municipal elections. The campaign significantly contributed to the issuance of this decree in cooperation with the MOIM.
Considering articles 9 and 29 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the objective of the “Haqqi” Campaign is to ensure inclusive and accessible elections for persons with disabilities and senior citizens. Ever since the launch of the campaign, LUPD has been systematically monitoring elections to document violations that occur on Elections Day against voters with disabilities and assess their overall voting experience. Through regular and methodic monitoring activities, LUPD was able to provide evidence-based, action-oriented recommendations that have contributed to putting the disability issue on the table and to improving accessibility and inclusiveness of elections. Since the launch of the campaign, LUPD’s monitoring efforts have supported practitioners and policymakers on disability issues, and their recommendations have improved the accessibility and inclusivity of elections by providing evidence-based information to relevant authorities, including the MOIM, at an appropriate level of detail to enact change.