Next Lebanese general election

The 2022 Lebanese general election is the upcoming general election in Lebanon, scheduled for 15 May 2022.

Background

2019–21 protests

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, 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, Saad Hariri ended up resigning on 29 October 2019.

Hassan Diab was appointed Prime Minister by President Michel Aoun on 19 December 2019. His government obtained the confidence of parliament by 69 votes in its favour.

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, the Lebanese pound records a loss of 70% of its value in six months and unemployment affects 35% of the active population. Riots break out in Beirut and Tripoli and Jounieh.

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 and damage estimated at nearly four billion euros by the World Bank and estimated to have left 300,000 homeless. 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 centers in Lebanon which ensures the transit of 60% of the country's imports.

Electoral system

In accordance with the Lebanese practice of political confessionalism, the Lebanese religious communities distribute reserved seats in the different constituencies according to their demographic weight. The distribution of votes is proportional. Once all the ballot papers have been counted, the total of valid votes in each constituency is divided by the number of seats to be filled, which gives the electoral threshold necessary for a list to obtain a seat.Electoral system
Inter-Parliamentary Union The distribution of seats is done between the lists having reached this quorum proportionally according to the percentage of votes obtained, then within the lists in accordance with the denominational quotas and the number of preferential votes obtained by the candidates.

Diaspora

Lebanese living abroad are allowed to participate in legislative elections. Although the Lebanese diaspora is estimated to be as high as 14 million individuals, most of them no longer possess nationality several decades after the waves of emigration that affected the country. Only 245,000 of diaspora had thus registered for the 2022 elections, which is still a significant increase from the 82,000 that registered last election. Although a section of the 2017 electoral law provides for the allocation of six seats apart for the diaspora, their vote is still counted in their constituencies.

Political parties and coalitions

Future Movement

On 24 January 2022 Saad Hariri announced his withdrawal from Lebanese politics and that he would not run in the 2022 general elections. He also called on the Future Movement to follow suit and not run in the upcoming parliamentary elections nor nominate anyone to run on its behalf.

Kataeb Party

Candidates where announced on the 20 February 2022 under the campaign slogan ''Ma minsawi'' (ما منساوي). Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel insisted that the Kataeb party was the only one that has "faced the fact of surrendering to Hezbollah's will, electing Michel Aoun as president and isolating Lebanon from its surroundings. Samy Gemayel emphasized:

Citizens in a State

Charbel Nahas founded the party during the 2016 municipal elections, is still unclear regarding its participation in the 2022 elections.

The party has been calling since the events of 2019 for the revolution to impose a dialogue on the political class so as to negotiate a peaceful transition of the 50 year old ruling-class to a secular state while considering the elections as a tool in the hands of the system and to create a significant change.

References

{{Lebanon-poli-stub

2022 elections in Asia
2022 in Lebanon
2022 general
March 2022 events in Lebanon