2022 Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament election

2022 Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament election

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Nabih Berri in Tehran (232901).jpg
Nominee Nabih Berri
Party Amal Movement
Electoral vote 65
Percentage 50.78%

Speaker before election

Nabih Berri
Amal Movement

Elected Speaker

Nabih Berri
Amal Movement

The 2022 Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament election was an election to elect the speaker of the 24th Lebanese Parliament.[1] It was 7th legislative speaker election since the implementation of the Taif Agreement in 1989.

Nabih Berri won with 65 votes out of 128, the minimum needed for a majority and the lowest outcome in his 30-year tenure as the speaker of parliament.[2]

Background

17 October Revolution

Large-scale anti-government demonstrations ignited in the country from 17 October. Initially triggered in response to a rise in gas and tobacco prices as well as a new tax on messaging applications,[3] the demonstrations quickly turned into a revolution against the stagnation of the economy, unemployment, Lebanon's sectarian and hereditary political system, corruption and the government's inability to provide essential services such as water, electricity and sanitation,[4] Saad Hariri ended up resigning on 29 October 2019.[5]

Hassan Diab was appointed prime minister by President Michel Aoun on 19 December 2019.[6] His government obtained the confidence of parliament by 69 votes in its favour.[7]

However, the country's economic situation continued to deteriorate. The government was indebted to the tune of over 95 billion dollars by the end of 2020,[8] the Lebanese pound records a loss of 70% of its value in six months[9] and unemployment affects 35% of the active population.[10] Riots break out in Beirut and Tripoli and Jounieh.[10]

Beirut explosion

On 4 August 2020, the explosion of several thousand tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a hangar in the Port of Beirut caused considerable human and material damage across the city and the port. The final toll was 218 dead and over 7,000 injured[11] and damage estimated at nearly four billion euros by the World Bank and estimated to have left 300,000 homeless.[12] The industrial-port zone of the Port of Beirut's badly affected, further aggravating the economic situation. Vital for Lebanon, the port is the most important trading centres in Lebanon which ensures the transit of 60% of the country's imports.

Election process

National Pact

Access to the parliamentary speakership is subject to an informal agreement known as the National Pact. Agreed in 1943, the latter limits this office only to members of the Shia Islam faith.[13]

The National Pact is based on an unwritten agreement concluded in 1943 between the Maronite Christian president Bechara El Khoury and his Sunni prime minister Riad Al Solh when Lebanon gained independence from France. The pact stipulates that the president of the Republic must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the Speaker of parliament a Shiite Muslim.[14]

Round

First round
Candidate Votes %
Nabih Berri (Amal) 65 50.78
Invalid/blank votes 63 49.22
Total 128 100
Eligible voters 128 100

Deputy speaker of the Lebanese Parliament election

2022 Deputy speaker of the Lebanese Parliament election

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Elias Bou Saab..jpg
Nominee Elias Bou Saab Ghassan Skaff
Party Free Patriotic Movement PSP
Electoral vote 65 60
Percentage 50.78% 46.87%

Deputy speaker before election

Elie Ferzli
Independent

Elected Deputy speaker

Elias Bou Saab
FPM

The Deputy speaker of the parliament was elected immediately after the speaker.[15]

Access to the deputy speakership is subject to an informal agreement known as the National Pact. Agreed in 1943, the latter limits this office only to members of the Greek Orthodoxy faith.[13]

Potential candidates

Rounds

In the first round, the legislators failed to elect a candidate with over 65 votes for a majority.[18]

The second round, parliament managed to elect former defense minister, Elias Bou Saab of the Free Patriotic Movement, with 65 votes.[18]

First round Second Round
Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes %
Elias Bou Saab (FPM) 64 50 Elias Bou Saab (FPM) 65 50.78
Ghassan Skaff (PSP) 49 38.3 Ghassan Skaff (PSP) 60 46.87
Invalid/blank votes 15 11.7 Invalid/blank votes 3 2.34
Total 128 100 Total 128 100
Eligible voters 128 100 Eligible voters 128 100

Secretaries of the Parliament election

2022 Secretaries of the Lebanese Parliament election

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Alain Aoun 1.jpg
Ziad Hawat, SBI - Aug 12, 2020.jpg
Nominee Alain Aoun Ziad Hawat
Party Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces
Electoral vote 65 38
Percentage 50.78% 29.69%

Elected Secretaries

Alain Aoun, Hadi Abou Hassan
FPM, PSP

The 2 secretaries of parliament were elected immediately after the Deputy Speaker. Although not constitutionally required, it was decided that the secretaries would be attributed to one Maronite Christian and one Druze.

The election process of the 2 deputies had large debate particularly by opposition MPs. It was suggested that each MP votes for both preferences in the same ballot. However, it was decided that voting would take place on the basis of one name per ballot.[19] As a result of this Firas Hamdan, an opposition MP, who was one of few candidates for the Druze secretary, withdrew his candidacy in protest of the sectarian electoral procedure.[19]

Rounds

  •   - Elected
  •   - Withdrew
First round
Candidate Sect Votes %
Alain Aoun (FPM) Maronite 65 50.78
Ziad Hawat (LF) Maronite 38 29.69
Michel Douaihy (Osos) Maronite 4 3.12
Firas Hamdan Druze 0 0.00
Hadi Abou Hoson (PSP) Druze 0 0.00
Invalid/blank votes N/A 19 14.84
Total 128 100
Eligible voters 128 100

See also

References

  1. ^ "The 'untouchable' parliamentary speaker at the heart of Lebanon's next political storm". France 24. 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  2. ^ "Lebanese parliament re-elects Nabih Berri as speaker - Reuters count". Reuters. Reuters. 2022-05-31. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  3. ^ "Lebanon protests: How WhatsApp tax anger revealed a much deeper crisis". BBC News. 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  4. ^ "L'insurrection au Liban : révolution, unité et crise économique". lvsl.fr - Tout reconstruire, tout réinventer (in French). 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  5. ^ "Lebanon's PM Saad Hariri resigns as protesters come under attack". the Guardian. 2019-10-29. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  6. ^ Hubbard, Ben; Saad, Hwaida (2019-12-19). "Lebanon, Mired in Crises, Turns to a Professor as Prime Minister". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  7. ^ Cornish, Chloe (2019-12-19). "Hassan Diab appointed Lebanon PM with Hizbollah backing". Financial Times. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  8. ^ "Lebanon - national debt 2020". Statista. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  9. ^ Lebanon: Events of 2020, Human Rights Watch, 2020-12-15, retrieved 2022-02-16
  10. ^ a b "Les Libanais ne décolèrent pas". Le Temps (in French). 2020-06-13. ISSN 1423-3967. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  11. ^ Wilkins, Charlotte (2021-07-31). "'They have to pay for what they did': Families of Beirut blast victims fight for justice". France 24. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  12. ^ "Beirut explosion: Lebanon's government 'to resign' as death toll rises". BBC News. 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  13. ^ a b "Lebanon (01/94)". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  14. ^ "Lebanese National Pact | History, Significance, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  15. ^ a b c "Berri sets Tuesday session for election of speaker and deputy". Naharnet. May 26, 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  16. ^ "MP Ghassan Skaff announces his candidacy for the position of Deputy Parliament Speaker". MTV Lebanon. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  17. ^ "Bou Saab meets with Khazen, Franjieh and Tawk". Naharnet. May 30, 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  18. ^ a b "New Parliament votes for deputy speaker: Follow our live coverage here". L'Orient Today. 2022-05-31. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  19. ^ a b "Follow our live coverage of the new Parliament's first session". L'Orient Today. 2022-05-31. Retrieved 2022-06-13.