2009 Lebanese general election

Parliamentary elections were held in Lebanon on 7 June 2009[1][2] to elect all 128 members of the Parliament of Lebanon.

2009 Lebanese general election

7 June 2009

All 128 seats to the Parliament of Lebanon
Turnout55.2% Increase 8.7%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Saad Hariri Michel Aoun Nabih Berri
Party Future Movement FPM Amal Movement
Alliance March 14 March 8 March 8
Leader's seat Beirut III Keserwan Zahrani
Last election 36 seats 15 seats 14 seats
Seats won 33 19 14
Seat change Decrease 3 Increase 4 Steady 0

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Hassan Nasrallah Walid Jumblatt Samir Geagea
Party Hezbollah PSP Lebanese Forces
Alliance March 8 None March 14
Leader's seat None Chouf None
Last election 14 seats 16 seats 6 seats
Seats won 13 11 8
Seat change Decrease 1 Decrease 5 Increase 2

  Seventh party Eighth party Ninth party
 
Leader Amine Gemayel Sleiman Frangieh Hagop Pakradounian
Party Kataeb Marada Movement Tashnag
Alliance March 14 March 8 March 8
Leader's seat None Zgharta Metn
Last election 3 seats 0 seats 2 seats
Seats won 5 3 2
Seat change Increase 2 Increase 3 Steady 0

Areas with a March 14 majority in blue, areas with a March 8 majority in orange

Prime Minister before election

Fouad Siniora

March 14

Elected Prime Minister

Saad Hariri

March 14

Background

Before the election, the voting age was to be lowered from 21 to 18 years, but as this requires a constitutional amendment, it did not happen before the election.[3]

Allocation of seats

Following a compromise reached in the Doha Agreement in May 2008 between the government and opposition, a new electoral law was put in place, as shown in the table below.[4] It was passed on 29 September 2008.[5]

Seat allocation

according to The Doha Agreement[6]

Seats
14 March 8 March
Beirut
19
Beirut 1 5 1 - - 1 - 1 1 - - 1 5 0
Beirut 2 4 - 1 1 - - 2 - - - - 2 2
Beirut 3 10 - 1 5 1 1 - - - 1 1 10 0
Bekaa 23 Baalbek
+Hermel
10 1 6 2 - - - 1 - - - 0 10
Zahleh 7 1 1 1 1 - 1 2 - - - 7 0
Rashaya
+West Bekaa
6 1 1 2 1 1 - - - - - 6 0
Mount Lebanon 35 Jbeil 3 2 1 - - - - - - - - 0 3
Kisrawan 5 5 - - - - - - - - - 0 5
North Metn 8 4 - - 2 - 1 1 - - - 2 6
Baabda 6 3 2 - - 1 - - - - - 0 6
Aley 5 2 - - 1 2 - - - - - 4 1
Chouf 8 3 - 2 - 2 - 1 - - - 8 0
North Lebanon 28 Akkar 7 1 - 3 2 - - - 1 - - 7 0
Dinniyeh
+Minieh
3 - - 3 - - - - - - - 3 0
Bsharreh 2 2 - - - - - - - - - 2 0
Tripoli 8 1 - 5 1 - - - 1 - - 8 0
Zgharta 3 3 - - - - - - - - - 0 3
Koura 3 - - - 3 - - - - - - 3 0
Batroun 2 2 - - - - - - - - - 2 0
South Lebanon 23 Saida 2 - - 2 - - - - - - - 2 0
Tyre 4 - 4 - - - - - - - - 0 4
Zahrani 3 - 2 - - - - 1 - - - 0 3
Hasbaya
+Marjeyoun
5 - 2 1 1 1 - - - - - 0 5
Nabatiyeh 3 - 3 - - - - - - - - 0 3
Bint Jbeil 3 - 3 - - - - - - - - 0 3
Jezzine 3 2 - - - - - 1 - - - 0 3
Total 128 128 34 27 27 14 8 5 8 2 1 2 71 57

Results

Logo of the Lebanese general election, 2009

Preliminary results indicated that the turnout had been as high as 55%.[7] The March 14 Alliance garnered 71 seats in the 128-member parliament, while the March 8 Alliance won 57 seats. This result is virtually the same as the result from the election in 2005. However, the March 14 alliance saw this as a moral victory over Hezbollah, who led the March 8 Alliance, and the balance of power was expected to shift in its favor.[8] Many observers expect to see the emergence of a National Unity Government similar to that created following the Doha Agreement in 2008.[9]

Election Results for each alliance[10] Total % 14M 14 March % 8M 8 March
Beirut
19
Beirut 1 5 52.1% 5 47.9% 0
Beirut 2 4 50.5% 2 49.5% 2
Beirut 3 10 69.6% 10 31.4% 0
Bekaa 23 Baalbek
+Hermel
10 21.6% 0 78.4% 10
Zahleh 7 52.7% 7 47.3% 0
Rashaya
+West Bekaa
6 53.3% 6 46.7% 0
Mount Lebanon 35 Jbeil 3 28.6% 0 71.4% 3
Kisrawan 5 30.9% 0 69.1% 5
North Metn 8 42.4% 2 58.6% 6
Baabda 6 41.8% 0 58.2% 6
Aley 5 60.2% 4 39.8% 1
Chouf 8 69.6% 8 30.4% 0
North Lebanon 28 Akkar 7 61.1% 7 38.9% 0
Dinniyeh
+Minnieh
3 70.9% 3 29.1% 0
Bsharreh 2 71.4% 2 28.6% 0
Tripoli 8 63.5% 8 36.5% 0
Zgharta 3 44.2% 0 55.8% 3
Koura 3 51.1% 3 48.9% 0
Batroun 2 50.2% 2 49.8% 0
South Lebanon 23 Saida 2 63.9% 2 36.1% 0
Tyre 4 06.8% 0 93.2% 4
Zahrani 3 10.0% 0 90.0% 3
Hasbaya
+Marjeyoun
5 21.4% 0 78.6% 5
Nabatiyeh 3 11.6% 0 88.4% 3
Bint Jbeil 3 05.8% 0 94.2% 3
Jezzine 3 25.5% 0 74.5% 3
Total 128 128 55.5% 71 44.5% 57

By party after the designation of Najib Mikati in January 2011

Parliament composition in june 2011 Lebanese Parliament election results
Alliances Seats Parties Seats
Government
68
27 Change and Reform bloc
  Free Patriotic Movement (Tayyar Al-Watani Al-Horr) 19
  Lebanese Democratic Party (Hizb al-democraty al-lubnany) 2
  Marada Movement 3
  Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Tashnag) 2
  Solidarity Party (Hizb Al-Tadamon Al-Lubnany) 1
30 March 8 Alliance
  Amal Movement (Harakat Amal) 13
  Loyalty to the Resistance (Hezbollah) 13
  Syrian Social Nationalist Party (al-Hizb al-Qawmi al-souri al ijtima'i) 2
  Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party 2
11 Pro-Government Independents
  Progressive Socialist Party 7
  Glory Movement 2
  Safadi Bloc 2
Opposition
60
60 March 14 Alliance
  Future Movement (Tayyar Al Mustaqbal) 29
  Lebanese Forces (al-Quwāt al-Lubnāniyya) 8
  Kataeb Party (Hizb al-Kataeb) 5
  Murr Bloc 2
  Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (Social Democrat Hunchakian Party) 2
  Islamic Group (Jamaa al-Islamiya) 1
  Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (Ramgavar Party) 1
  Democratic Left Movement (ĥarakatu-l-yasāri-d-dimuqrātī) 1
  National Liberal Party (Hizbu-l-waTaniyyīni-l-aHrār) 1
  Independents (including ex-PSP) 10
    Total 128

Source

Formation of government

As is typical of Lebanese politics political wrangling after the elections took 5 months.[11] Only in November was the composition of the new cabinet agreed upon: 15 seats for the March 14 Alliance, 10 for the March 8 Alliance, and 5 nominated by Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, who has cast himself as a neutral party between the two main political blocks.[12]

Aftermath

The government fell in January 2011 after the March 8 alliance's 11 ministers withdrew from the government over PM Hariri's refusal to convene a cabinet meeting to discuss possible indictments to be issued by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.[13]

The March 8 alliance formed a new government in the ensuing six months.

See also

References

  1. "Lebanon's ruling coalition urges lawmakers to ban presidential election – People's Daily Online".
  2. "Lebanese Interior Ministry sets June 7 for Parliamentary elections – People's Daily Online".
  3. "Lebanon voting age lowered by MPs". BBC News. 2009-03-19. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  4. "Lebanon rivals agree crisis deal". BBC News. 2008-05-21. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  5. "Lebanon approves new election law". BBC News. 2008-09-30. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  6. "Blogger". accounts.google.com.
  7. Slackman, Michael (7 June 2009). "Pro-Western Bloc Defeats Hezbollah in Lebanon Vote". NYT. Retrieved 7 June 2009.
  8. Slackman, Michael (2009-06-09). "U.S.-Backed Alliance Wins Election in Lebanon". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  9. "March 14 bloc wins Lebanon election". Al Jazeera English.
  10. "Elections 09 – Lebanon Elections 2009". Archived from the original on 2010-06-25. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  11. International Foundation for Electoral Systems (9 November 2009). Lebanon's New Government (PDF) (Report). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2011.
  12. Worth, Robert F. (2009-11-10). "Impasse Over, Lebanon Forms Cabinet". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  13. "Breaking News, World News and Video from al Jazeera".
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