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A Lebanon Political Primer May 2009

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International Foundation for Electoral Systems A Lebanon Political Primer May 2009 Constitutional Positions By political agreement since Lebanese independence in 1943, the three key constitutional positions are reserved for citizens from specific confessional groups. President Prime Minister Parliamentary Speaker General Michel Sleiman Fouad Sinora Naibh Berri Maronite Christian Sunni Muslim Shiite Muslim No political alignment Future Movement Amal Movement Elected as President by Prime Minister since July 2005. Speaker since November 1992. Parliament on 25 May 2008. Standing as a candidate in Saida. Standing as a candidate in Formerly the Head of the Zahrany. Lebanese Armed Forces. Parliamentary Blocs The 128-seat Lebanese Parliament currently has two parliamentary blocs: the majority bloc (with 67 Deputies) consists of political parties and affiliated independents referred to as “March 14”. The other bloc (with 56 Deputies) consists of political parties and independents affiliated to two coalesced groups, the March 8 coalition and the Reform and Change alliance. At the time the June 7 elections were called, three Deputies are not affiliated to either bloc and there were two vacant seats. This chart refers to numbers of Deputies as of April 2009 and the confessional group to which the party is most closely linked. March 14 Parliamentary Bloc March 8 and Reform and Change Parliamentary Bloc 67 Deputies 56 Deputies Future Movement (FM) Hezbollah 27 Deputies 11 Deputies Leader: Saad Hariri Leader: Hassan Nasrallah Mostly Sunni Muslim Shiite Muslim Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) Amal Movement 6 Deputies 10 Deputies Leader: Walid Jumblatt Leader: Nabih Berri Druze Shiite Muslim Lebanese Forces (LF) Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) 5 Deputies 7 Deputies Leader: Dr. Samir Geagea Leader: General Michel Aoun Christian Christian Kateab (Phalange) Tashnak 1 Deputy 2 Deputies Leader: President Amin Gemayel Leader: Hovig Mekhitarian Christian Armenian Christian Democratic Left Movement Democratic Renewal Movement Syrian Social Nationalist Party 1 Deputy (DLM) 1 Deputy (DRM) 2 Deputies (SSNP) Christian Christian Secular Ramgavar Hanshak Nasserist Popular Movement Arab Socialist Baath Party 1 Deputy 1 Deputy 1 Deputy 1 Deputy Armenian Christian Armenian Christian Sunni Sunni Independent Deputies affiliated to the March 14 bloc Independent Deputies affiliated to the M8 and C&R bloc 24 Deputies 22 Deputies (16 Christian, 4 Sunni, 2 Armenian, 1 Druze, 1 Alawite) (13 Christian, 3 Sunni, 4 Shiite, 1 Druze, 1 Alawite) The March 14 bloc also includes non-parliamentary political parties, The March 8 and Change & Reform bloc also includes non-parliamentary including the Lebanese Option Group (Shiite), the National Bloc Party and political parties such as Marada (Christian) and the the National Liberal Party (both Christian). Lebanese Democratic Party (Druze). The Council of Ministers The Lebanese Cabinet is composed of 30 Ministers, with portfolios distributed equally between Christian and Muslim confessions. Following the May 2008 Doha Agreement, the current Cabinet has sixteen Ministers affiliated to March 14, nine Ministers affiliated to the March 8/C&R bloc and three non-affiliated Ministers who were nominated by President Sleiman. Under Article 65 of the Lebanese Constitution, the Council of Ministers must have a two-thirds majority to decide on ‘national issues’ such as the budget, international treaties, the election law, the dissolution of Parliament etc. Prime Minister Justice Economy Education Finance Deputy P M Foreign Affairs Agriculture Youth & Sport Interior Fouad Siniora Ibrahim Najjar Mohamad Safadi Bahia Hariri Mohamad Chatah I. Abu Jamra Fawzi Salloukh Elias Skaff Talal Arslan Ziyad Baroud FM LF Ind FM FM FPM Amal Ind. LD Non-Affiliated Sunni Greek Orthodox Sunni Sunni Sunni Greek Orthodox Shiite Greek Catholic Druze Maronite Information Public Work Environment Culture Displaced Labour Energy & Water Telecoms Health Defence Tarek Mitri Ghazi Aridi Antoine Karam Tammam Salam Raymond Audi Mohamad Fneish Alain Tabourian Gebran Bassil Mohamad Kalifeh Elias Murr Ind. PSP LF Ind. Ind. Hezbollah Tashnag FPM Amal Non-Affiliated Greek Orthodox Druze Maronite Sunni Greek Catholic Shiite Armenian Ortho. Maronite Shiite Greek Orthodox Admin Reform Tourism State State State State State Industry Social Affairs State Ib. Shamseddine Elie Marouni Nassib Lahoud Khaled Qabbani Wael Abou Faour Jean Ogassapian Ali Qanso Ghazi Zoayter Mario Aoun Youssef Taqla Ind. Kataeb DRM FM PSP Ind. SSNP Amal FPM Non-Affiliated Shiite Maronite Maronite Sunni Druze Armenian Ortho. Shiite Shiite Maronite Greek Orthodox .
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