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The Prime Minister nomination and government formation in Lebanon
By Ibrahim Jouhari Following the election of the president, it is time to nominate a Prime Minister following government formation. Although Lebanon’s political system might seem complicated and archaic, there is a clear order for the next constitutional steps. This article will try to shed some light on the process. Binding Consultations: The first step will be for the President to call for binding consultations[1]. It is an election disguised under another term. All 128 new members of the new parliament will visit the President and cast their votes, naming a Sunni candidate as the next Prime Minister. The candidate with the most votes wins and becomes the Prime Minister-designate. It is…
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Who voted for change!
In this latest data-driven research, we analyzed who voted for change from a gender, sectarian, and geographic perspective. This was possible by using the data produced by the Data Liberation Project (DLP) in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Beirut (FNF). The DLP aims to make electoral data, specifically the raw results, freely, easily, and openly available. Thus, the 2022, 2018, 2009, 2005, 2000, and 1996 parliamentary elections results are freely available in machine-readable, open-access format. You can access the research paper here
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Analyzing the number of lists
After a tumultuous month filled with Machiavellian political machinations, the electoral lists for the next election in Lebanon are set! 103 lists were officially registered, vying for 128 parliamentary seats in 15 districts! It was a bumpy ride, filled with backstabbing, bluffs, and some last minutes surprises. Most political parties waited until the last possible moment before unveiling their lists. Negotiations were still ongoing hours before the close of the registration period last Monday at midnight! All sides kept their cards hidden for as long as possible, maximizing their strength and weakening their opponents. There was a significant upsurge on the last day, and the final number of lists rose…
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A shift in the political landscape
By Ibrahim Jouhari Former PM Saad Hariri announced the suspension of his personal and political party’s participation in Lebanese political life in an emotional address. The former PM explained that despite his many efforts to compromise, some are unwilling to let the country move forward. He stressed that this negative trend has been amplified by a growing Iranian hegemony, in a tumultuous regional dynamic, with the international community’s lack of decisiveness. A lot of ink will be spilled, and time spent to analyze the consequences of this decision. The repercussions will be widespread, and it will have a long-lasting effect on the Sunni community and its political aspirations, and the…
