As Lebanon holds parliamentary election, here's all about its unique power-split provision

Lebanon, which was once called Switzerland of the east, is now marred by unending darkness. Most of the households are off the power grid, residents have to stand in long queues of banks to withdraw whatever meagre amount is allowed by the government while bread earners are constantly worried about securing the next meal for their families. Amidst all this, the democratic election on Sunday comes as a glimmer of hope. 

Lebanon, a sliver of land located along the Mediterranean sea, is holding its first parliamentary elections since the 2020 Beirut port blast. The colossal explosion rocked the capital city of Beirut on August 4, killing nearly 200 and injuring over 4000 people. It is also the first since the 2018 anti-government protests that came as the government revealed plans to tax gasoline, tobacco, and VoIP calls on applications such as WhatsApp. 

At least 3.9 million citizens are eligible to vote for their preferred representatives amongst 718 candidates spread across 103 lists in 15 districts and 27 sub-districts. Notably, the European Union has deployed 170 observers to ensure that the polls are conducted democratically. The current administration is backed by the Hezbollah group, which is seeking to secure a majority in the ongoing elections but is mired in internal divisions.

Unique Powersharing provision

The unicameral Lebanese Parliament has a unique powersharing provision granted by Article 24 of its constitution. There are a total of 128 seats, half of which are reserved for Christians while the other half is reserved for Muslims. At present, the country’s president is a Maronite Christian, its PM is a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of its parliament is Shia Muslim. As per the electoral rules, all voters select a list of candidates running together followed by a “preferential vote” from that list. 

Sunday’s elections are pivotal given the fact that it is the first since the 2019 revolution and 2020 Beirut blasts - two events that shaped the course of the country’s history. Hundreds of thousands of residents are hoping that a change in powerholders would pull the country out of the worst economic crisis it has seen in its history since the 1975-90 civil war. The Lebanese pound has depreciated to unprecedented levels and was trading at 1,507.50 LBP.

(Image: AP)