In Lebanese politics, Minorities ( ’Aqaliyāt) is a term that includes six different Christian sects; Syriac Orthodox, Syriac Catholics, Assyrian Church of the East, Chaldean Catholics, Latin Catholics, and Coptic Orthodox.Daily Star. Minority sects demand greater representation in ParliamentAssyrian International News Agency. Syriac Catholic Patriarch Demands Seat in Lebanese Parliament 1 of the 128 seats in the national parliament is allocated to Minorities (all seats in the Lebanese parliament are allocated to different confessional groups). The Minorities' seat is elected from Beirut III electoral district, an electoral district with a large Sunni Muslim majority (65.25% of the registered voters).

According to data released by the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities in 2011 (not an official census as such), there were 42,715 registered Minorities voters (1.28% of all registered voters in the country). Electoral districts with significant Minorities populations were Beirut I 10,063 voters (11% of the registered voters in the electoral district, overwhelmingly Syriac Catholics),According to the newspaper Balad there were 9,955 Syriac Catholic registered voters in Beirut I in 2009 compared to 177 registered voters belonging to the five other Minorities sects. Quoted in Messerlian, Zaven. Armenian Participation in the Lebanese Legislative Elections 1934–2009. Beirut: Haigazian University Press, 2014. p. 486 Beirut III 8,181 voters (3.18%), Metn 7,802 voters (4.56%), Zahle 7,225 voters (4.51%) and Beirut II 3,529 voters (3.44%). In the capital Beirut (all three districts combined) Minorities represented 4.83% of the registered voters.IFES. Electoral Districts in Lebanon

History

French period A Minorities seat has existed in Lebanese politics since the first elections in 1922. However, the sects included in the Minorities concept has varied over time. During the first elections there were no separate seats for Protestants and Armenians, so they were included in Minorities as well. A separate Armenian Orthodox seat was instituted in 1934 and separate Protestant and Armenian Catholic seats were created in 1951.

In 1925, Michel Chiha, a Latin Catholic banker and journalist, was elected from the Beirut Minorities seat in the Representative Council.

In 1929, Abdallah Ishak, an Armenian Catholic, was elected from the Minorities seat.Messerlian, Zaven. Armenian Participation in the Lebanese Legislative Elections 1934–2009. Beirut: Haigazian University Press, 2014. pp. 37–39

In the 1934 elections, the battle for the Beirut Minorities seat stood mainly between the pro-government candidate Ayoub Tabet and Abdallah Ishak, contesting on the list of Abdallah Yafi.Messerlian, Zaven. Armenian Participation in the Lebanese Legislative Elections 1934–2009. Beirut: Haigazian University Press, 2014. pp. 43–49 Ishak got more votes than Tabet in the first round, but lost to Tabet in the second round.

In the 1937 elections, the Beirut Minorities seat was won by Chafic Nassif.Messerlian, Zaven. Armenian Participation in the Lebanese Legislative Elections 1934–2009. Beirut: Haigazian University Press, 2014. pp. 54, 59

From Independence to Civil War In the 1943 elections, the first to be held after independence from France, Ayoub Tabet (contesting on the list of Sami as-Solh) and Moussa de Freige (contesting on the list of Yafi) vyed for the Beirut Minorities seat. Tabet was elected with 5,740 votes against 5,561 for de Freige.Messerlian, Zaven. Armenian Participation in the Lebanese Legislative Elections 1934–2009. Beirut: Haigazian University Press, 2014. pp. 64, 66, 74 De Freige won the seat in the 1947 elections, standing as the pro-government candidate. The Kataeb Party general secretary Joseph Chader was the main opposition candidate for the seat.Messerlian, Zaven. Armenian Participation in the Lebanese Legislative Elections 1934–2009. Beirut: Haigazian University Press, 2014. pp. 89, 96, 100

For the 1951 elections, separate Protestant and Armenian Catholic seats were set up in Beirut. Thus candidates from these communities no longer contested the Minorities seat.Messerlian, Zaven. Armenian Participation in the Lebanese Legislative Elections 1934–2009. Beirut: Haigazian University Press, 2014. p. 105 Moussa de Freige, standing on the so-called List of Giants, was re-elected.Messerlian, Zaven. Armenian Participation in the Lebanese Legislative Elections 1934–2009. Beirut: Haigazian University Press, 2014. pp. 106, 116

In the 1953 election, the Minorities seat was allocated to the Beirut V – Minet El Hosn electoral district. As the Armenian Catholics had lost their separate seat, they again contested this seat.Messerlian, Zaven. Armenian Participation in the Lebanese Legislative Elections 1934–2009. Beirut: Haigazian University Press, 2014. p. 120 The Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Gabriel I Tappouni supported Edmond Rabbath. On the other hand, Joseph Chader enjoyed support from the Jewish voters, who were generally sympathetic to the Kataeb Party. Chader narrowly defeated Rabbath, having obtained 2,081 votes against 1,922 for Rabbath.Messerlian, Zaven. Armenian Participation in the Lebanese Legislative Elections 1934–2009. Beirut: Haigazian University Press, 2014. pp. 129–130

For the 1957 election, Beirut was divided into two constituencies. The Minorities seat was allocated to the second constituency, which consisted of Mudawar, Bashoura, Zokak Blat, Ras Beirut, Ain Mraysé, Minet El Hosn and Port. The Armenian Catholics regained their separate seat, which was elected from the same constituency.Messerlian, Zaven. Armenian Participation in the Lebanese Legislative Elections 1934–2009. Beirut: Haigazian University Press, 2014. p. 135 Chafic Nassif won the Minorities seat with 14,471 votes. The main contender was Farid Jubran who got 10,923 votes.Messerlian, Zaven. Armenian Participation in the Lebanese Legislative Elections 1934–2009. Beirut: Haigazian University Press, 2014. pp. 142–143, 151

As per the 1960 Election Law, the Minorities seat was allocated to the Beirut II electoral district. At the time Minorities included Syrian Orthodox, Syrian Catholics, Latin Catholics, Assyrians, Chaldeans and Jews. As of 1960 Beirut II had 2,435 Minorities voters (5.65% of the voters in the electoral district). Farid Jubran, a Latin Catholic belonging to the Progressive Socialist Party, won the Minorities seat in the 1960, 1964, 1968 and 1972 elections.Zuwiyya, Jalal. The Parliamentary Election of Lebanon 1968. Leiden: Brill, 1972. pp. 13, 17–20

Post-war period In the 1992 and 1996 elections, Beirut was a single electoral district. Per the 2000 Election Law, used for the 2000 and 2005 elections, the Minorities seat was allotted to Beirut's second district (Bashoura-Rmeil-Moseitebeh).Refworld. UK Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate Country Assessment – LebanonDaily Star. Salam warns supporters not be taken in by ‘doctored’ lists In the 2008 election law, the Minorities seat was allocated to Beirut III, consisting of Zokak Blat, Ras Beirut, Ain Mraysé, Minet El Hosn, Mazraa and Moseitebeh. Nabil de Freige was elected from the Minorities seat in 2000, 2005 and 2009.National News Agency. Biography of Administrative Development Minister Nabil De Freij

In the constituency with the biggest share of Minorities voters, Beirut I, it was estimated that 32.2% of the registered Syriac Catholic voters had cast their votes in the 2009 general election. 51.3% where estimated to have voted for the pro-government candidates and 46.9% for the opposition candidates.Messerlian, Zaven. Armenian Participation in the Lebanese Legislative Elections 1934–2009. Beirut: Haigazian University Press, 2014. p. 486

As for the 2018 elections, Beirut will be divided into two districts. The Minorities seat will be allotted to Beirut's first district (Achrafiyeh-Rmeil-Saifi-Medawar). In 2018, Antoine Pano won the Minorities seat. He ran on the list of the FPM, Strong Lebanon bloc.

Electoral summary of the Minorities seat YearDistrictSectPartyWinning candidate1925BeirutLatin Catholic IndependentMichel Chiha1927Protestant IndependentAyoub Tabet1929Armenian Catholic IndependentAbdallah Ishak681934Protestant IndependentAyoub Tabet7,5211937Syriac Catholic Kataeb PartyChafic Nassif22,5541943Protestant IndependentAyoub Tabet5,7401947Latin Catholic IndependentMoussa de Freige15,7521951Latin Catholic IndependentMoussa de Freige12,7471953Beirut VArmenian Catholic Kataeb PartyJoseph Chader2,0811957Beirut IISyriac Catholic National Liberal PartyChafic Nassif14,4711960Latin Catholic Progressive Socialist PartyFarid Jubran7,6711964Latin CatholicProgressive Socialist PartyFarid Jubran4,3311968Latin CatholicProgressive Socialist PartyFarid Jubran8,0491972Latin CatholicProgressive Socialist PartyFarid Jubran9,3331992BeirutSyriac Orthodox IndependentIbrahim Asmar8,6451996Syriac Orthodox IndependentJamil Abdelmassih39,6362000Beirut IILatin Catholic Future MovementNabil De Freige26,3512005Latin Catholic Future MovementNabil De Freige27,3642009Beirut IIILatin Catholic Future MovementNabil De Freige2018Beirut ISyriac Orthodox Free Patriotic MovementAntoine Pano5392022Syriac Catholic ReLebanonCynthia Zarazir486

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