Lebanon Selects A New Electoral Law After Years Of Political Stalemate

In a significant move, the Lebanese Parliament passed a new electoral law on June 14th, agreeing on a proportional representation voting system and steering the country clear of a potentially dangerous political stalemate. This decision, which passed through Parliament with 121 of the 128-member parliament voting in support of the electoral reform, comes after the Lebanese cabinet approved the draft law earlier in the month.

The decision to pursue an electoral law based on proportionality moves the country towards holding the first Parliamentary elections, which is scheduled, for the first time in nine years, to be held in May 2018. Lebanon’s current ‘winner-takes-all’ voting system originates from the electoral law that was established in the 1960s, which allocates seats in Parliament based on the sectarian makeup of the country and requires a plurality of votes to be attained by candidates in order to be elected. Intent to reform the dated electoral system, yet failure for the vying political parties to agree on a new system, has contributed to political instability in Lebanon for years.

As such, legislative elections have not been held in the country since 2009, with most Parliamentarians refusing to partake in elections guided by what is seen as an outdated and unrepresentative system, according to Al Jazeera. This month’s agreement gives some relief to what was becoming a concerning political stalemate, which according to Reuters, was “threatening to leave it [Lebanon] without a parliament for the first time.”

The new law will ensure voting is carried out according to proportional representation and proposes to divide the country into fifteen electoral districts from which members of Parliament will be elected from. Supporters in Parliament have noted that this system will help to reduce the intensity of sectarianism in the Lebanese political sphere.

Proportional voting systems typically allow for a more integrationist approach that recognizes and works to involve the various religious or ethnic sects that makeup a given country. On paper, this allows for a more representative Parliament and the opportunity for minorities to have a stronger sense of political participation. In a nation like Lebanon, which is comprised of 18 officially recognized religious sects, a proportional system has been promoted as being a step in the right direction. If instated as intended, the proportional electoral system will be the first of its kind in Lebanon since the country gained independence in 1943.

As articulated by the Gebran Bassil, who is the leader of one of Lebanon’s main political parties, the Free Patriotic Movement, the recent decision to pursue an electoral law centred on proportional representation “is not ideal yet, but it is great progress.” Support for the decision can be seen internationally, including in a statement of support by the European Union, which was released by a spokesperson for the EU’s diplomatic service that noted that the “new electoral law governing the next parliamentary elections is an important step towards fully functioning democratic institutions in Lebanon… [which will] stabilise the country and stimulate faster economic growth.”

Nonetheless, criticism for the decision has been strongly voiced, particularly by civil society groups and protesters who were present outside Parliament as the law was presented on June 14th. In particular, the draft law has been criticized for neglecting to address key issues, such as the political representation of women and the voting status of Lebanon’s diaspora population. Suggestions for both the establishment of a women’s quota and for a law to enable the election of diaspora MP’s were tabled by Parliament. Protesters were also disgruntled at the failure of the new draft electoral law to lower the current voting age of 21 to 18, which could threaten to marginalize the country’s youth and reduce their political voice. Furthermore, electoral systems based on proportional representation can risk entrenching sectarian identities, often at the expense of undermining any overarching sense of nationhood within a country.

Additionally, the current Parliament will further extend its mandate by another eleven months, which will be the third extension since its initial four-year term technically ended in 2013 in order to, reportedly, allow for continuity and required preparations for the slated May 2018 election. The opposition has criticized and described this move as being undemocratic, also citing the future disadvantage this could pose to political parties if the incumbent Parliamentarians are able to utilize this additional time in Lebanon’s seats of political power to rally and secure supporters for next year’s vote.

With that said, only time will tell how the new electoral law will play out in Lebanon. What is certain is that a strong democratic system is needed to pursue stability in the country, and fostering an electoral system based on proportional representation may well be a step in the right direction, even if in its current form it does not offer a comprehensive solution to address the broad scope of political instability. What remains to be seen is the specific form the electoral system will take as time moves closer towards May 2018 and the details are hashed out amongst the country’s political elite, and how this will impact the diverse variety of religious, ethnic and social groups within Lebanon.

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