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The Ta’if Accords, which ended Lebanon’s civil war, called explicitly for the dismantling of political confessionalism through the election of a Chamber of Deputies on “a national, non-confessional basis” and the formation of a Senate representing all of Lebanon’s various sects. Lebanese leaders from across the ideological and confessional spectrum have declared their support for this idea, and it is routinely raised whenever questions of institutional reform and “de-confessionalism” are discussed. However, the Ta’if Accords provide no details beyond the basic description of two legislative chambers elected on different bases, a fact which prompts a wide range of questions about the architecture and implementation of such a system. This paper explores these questions and proposes several bicameral models based on a comparative political analysis.

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Working Papers
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Journal Publisher
CDDRL Working Papers
Authors
Elias Muhanna
News Type
Commentary
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The crisis in Syria has revived sectarian tensions in neighboring Lebanon, fueling internal divisions reminiscent of the period leading up to the 1970's civil war. Lina Khatib, manager of CDDRL's Program on Arab Reform and Democracy, writes in The Guardian about the recent events and underlying tensions that have escalated conflict between Lebanon's Shia and Sunni communities. Khatib argues that a loss of confidence in state institutions and a weakened leadership makes Lebanon vulnerable to escalated civil strife. 

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