General elections were held in Lebanon on 6 May 2018. Although originally scheduled for 2013, the election was postponed three times in 2013, 2014 and 2017 for various reasons, including the security situation, the failure of the Parliament to elect a new President, and the technical requirements of holding an election. A new electoral law adopted in 2017 provides a proportional representation system for the first time.
Background
Following the last parliamentary election of 2009, it took several months to form a new government. Saad Hariri eventually became prime minister in a March 14 Alliance government formed in November 2009. About a year later, Walid Jumblatt's PSP broke away from the alliance and withdrew its ministers. Jumblatt then traveled to Syria for the first time in decades and met President Bashar al-Assad. After the government fell over the issue of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, a new government was formed by Najib Mikati that consisted of March 8 Alliance parties, as well as the PSP.
Over the course of the Syrian civil war, fissures started to grow in Lebanon as 14 March parties supported the opposition in Syria while 8 March parties were ostensibly supportive of the Syrian government, particularly in the early stages. The 8 March parties therefore faced accusation from the opposition and its affiliated media of kowtowing to the Syrian government. As the Syrian conflict started to spill over into Lebanon, both via refugees and Lebanon's own diverse demographics that are broadly reflective of Syria's own diversity, tensions started to grow. A spate of sectarian kidnappings and threats followed, some of which turned fatal.
On 22 March 2013, Mikati resigned, citing a negative climate over the appointment of a committee to oversee the election and the Internal Security Forces (ISF) head Ashraf Rifi, who was expected to retire in April, continuing in the position. On 5 April, a new 14 March Alliance-backed consensus candidate for prime minister was announced, Tammam Salam.
Postponement A new president should have been elected by Parliament before the legislative elections took place. However, there was a deadlock which resulted in fourteen fruitless attempts to choose a head of state. Therefore, Parliament decided on 5 November 2014 to extend its term by 2 years and 7 months. The deadlock was perceived to arise from failure to reach quorum due to the voluntary absence of members from the ex- 8 March alliance.
Electoral system In June 2017 a new electoral law was passed. The previous system (under which the 128 members of parliament were elected from 26 multi-member constituencies under multiple non-transferable vote, and the candidates with the highest number of votes within each religious community were elected)Electoral system Inter-Parliamentary Union with a new electoral law instituting proportional representation in 15 multi-member constituencies while still maintaining the confessional distribution.Lebanon passing parliamentary law is a step in right direction Gulf News, 16 June 2017 However, the 7 out of the 15 of the electoral districts are divided into 2 or more 'minor districts' (largely corresponding to the smaller electoral districts from the old electoral law).Table Attached to Law 44 dated 17/6/2017 (Official Gazette no.27 dated 17 June 2017) – Distribution of Seats to the Confessions and Districts ACE Project Where applicable, preference vote is counted on the 'minor district' level.Gulf News. Lebanon to hold parliamentary elections in May 2018
Individuals could submit their candidacy for parliament until midnight of 6 March 2018. 976 candidates were registered, including 111 women.Naharnet. Record Number of Women Register to Run in Parliamentary Elections Candidates were obliged to join lists, which had to be finalized by 26 March 2018.
Electoral district under 2017 Election LawRegistered votersBeirut I (East Beirut)135,1978 11131 1Beirut II (West Beirut)346,26011621 1 1Bekaa I (Zahle)174,944711 1121 Bekaa II (West Bekaa-Rachaya)143,6536211 11 Bekaa III (Baalbek-Hermel)309,3421026 1 1 Mount Lebanon I (Byblos-Kesrwan)176,8188 1 7 Mount Lebanon II (Metn)179,7898 4211 Mount Lebanon III (Baabda)164,4936 21 3 Mount Lebanon IV (Aley-Chouf)325,771132 4 511 North I (Akkar)277,16673 112 North II (Tripoli-Minnieh-Dennieh)343,290118 111 North III (Bcharre-Zghorta-Batroun-Koura)246,97710 73 South I (Saida-Jezzine)120,89852 2 1 South II (Zahrany-Tyre)297,9797 6 1 South III (Marjaayoun-Nabatieh-Hasbaya-Bint Jbeil)450,87311181 1 Total3,693,450128272782341485111Source: Daily Star , Daily Star
Electoral district under 2008 Election LawElectoral district under 2017 Election LawNotesBeirut IBeirut IThe former Beirut II constituency was split between the former Beirut I and Beirut III (now renamed 'Beirut II') electoral districts. Medawar was moved into the new Beirut I electoral district, Port and Bachoura were moved into the new Beirut II electoral district. The 2 Armenian Orthodox seats from the old Beirut II electoral districts were allocated to the new Beirut I electoral district, the Sunni and Shia seats of the old Beirut II electoral district were allocated to the new Beirut II electoral district. Furthermore, the Minorities seat was moved from the old Beirut III electoral district to the new Beirut I electoral district.Beirut IIabolishedBeirut IIIBeirut IIZahleBekaa Ino changeWest Bekaa-RachayaBekaa IIno changeBaalbek-HermelBekaa IIIno changeByblos (Jbeil)Mount Lebanon IThe old Byblos and Kesrwan electoral districts now constitute 2 minor districts in the new Mount Lebanon I electoral district.KesrwanMetnMount Lebanon IIno changeBaabdaMount Lebanon IIIno changeAleyMount Lebanon IVThe old Aley and Chouf electoral districts now constitute 2 minor districts in the new Mount Lebanon IV electoral district.ChoufAkkarNorth Ino changeMinnieh-DenniehNorth IIThe old Minnieh-Dennieh and Tripoli electoral districts have been merged, but subdivided into 3 minor districts: Tripoli, Minnieh and Dennieh.TripoliBatrounNorth IIIThe old Batroun, Bcharre, Koura and Zgharta electoral districts now constitute 4 minor districts in the new North III electoral district.BcharreKouraZghartaJezzineSouth IThe old Saida and Jezzine electoral districts now constitute 2 minor districts in the new South I electoral district.SaidaTyreSouth IIThe old Tyre and Zahrani electoral districts now constitute 2 minor districts in the new South II electoral district.ZahraniBint JbeilSouth IIIThe old Bint Jbeil, Marjayoun-Hasbaya and Nabatieh electoral districts now constitute 3 minor districts in the new South III electoral district.Marjayoun-HasbayaNabatieh
Electorate
The Shia electorate constituted the majority of registered voters in Bekaa III, South II and South III, together accounting for 79% of the total Shia electorate.
The Sunni electorate constituted the majority of registered voters in three electoral districts (Beirut I, North I and North II); these three districts represent around two-thirds of the total Sunni electorate.
63% of all Druze voters were registered in the Mount Lebanon IV electoral district, which elected four out of the eight Druze parliamentarians. 97% of the Druze voters were registered in districts from which Druze parliamentarians were elected.
96% of Alawite voters were registered in either the North I or North II electoral districts, which elected one Alawite parliamentarian each.الدوائر الانتخابية: بالارقام والنسب عدد الناخبين واسماء المرشحين للانتخابات النيابية اللبنانية 2018 . Ministry of Information
Maronite Christians constituted the majority of voters in Mount Lebanon I and North III; these two districts represented 42% of the Maronite electorate.
North III also hosted the largest concentration of Greek Orthodox Christian voters (20.7%), representing around a fifth of all Greek Orthodox voters throughout the country. According to 2017 data, the Greek Orthodox constituted 58% of the voters in the Koura minor district of North III.
Bekaa I hosted the largest concentration of Greek Catholic voters, about a fifth of the nationwide Greek Catholic vote.
Beirut I hosted the largest concentrations of Armenians, both Armenian Orthodox and Armenian Catholic voters, who elected 4 out of the 6 Armenian parliamentarians.
The Minorities (Syriac Orthodox, Syriac Catholic, Latin Catholic, Chaldean Catholics, Assyrian Church and Copts) seat was now in Beirut I, which had the largest gathering of Minorities voters.
Jewish voters were mainly found in Beirut II, where they constituted 1.31% of the electorate. However, in the 2009 election only five Jews cast their votes in the Beirut III electoral district.Messerlian, Zaven. Armenian Participation in the Lebanese Legislative Elections 1934–2009. Beirut: Haigazian University Press, 2014. p. 487
Below is a summary of the demographics of the Lebanese electorate with data from 2017, divided by the qada administrative districts (or in the case of Beirut, the old 2008 vote law electoral districts).