Lebanese Electoral Law Redresses Christian Rights
The proposed electoral law should allow Christian parties to have a greater say in Lebanese politics, writes Scarlett Haddad.
Beyond the political statements and strictly electoral interests, the current negotiations over a new electoral law in Lebanon are a fundamental change in Lebanon’s internal balance of power. The willingness of Christian parties to reclaim their parliamentary seats under the leadership of the Maronite Patriarchate goes beyond the desire of one political camp to score a victory against the other. For the first time since the Taif Accord, it allows the Christians to regain some tangible rights, which they had lost.
In fact, if we go back in time a little, we remember how the Taif Accord took away much of the Christians’ rights, then called “privileges,” by stripping away presidential powers and giving them, in principle, to the council of ministers. According to the Taif Accord, the council of ministers was supposed to include all Lebanese sectarian components and be split evenly between Muslims and Christians.
