Lebanese parliament based on sectarian distribution of power

Lebanese parliament based on sectarian split

A new parliament to be elected in Lebanon on Sunday will be apportioned among Christian and Muslim sects under a power-sharing formula that also divvies up Lebanon’s main leadership positions by religion.

Under the 1989 agreement to end a 15-year civil war, the 128-seat parliament is divided equally between Christians and Muslims, and subdivided among the largest of the country’s recognized 18 religious sects.

On the Christian side, Maronite Catholics get 34 seats, Greek Orthodox 14, Greek Catholics eight, Armenian Orthodox five, Armenian Catholics one, Protestants one and another one for “minorities.” On the Muslim side, Sunnis and Shiites each get 27 seats, the Druse sect eight and the Alawite sect two.

Under an unwritten but unbending tradition since Lebanon won independence in 1943, the president must be a Maronite Catholic, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of parliament a Shiite Muslim. The Cabinet must be divided evenly between Christians and Muslims.