Lebanon: Thousands Demonstrate for Abolition of Sect-based Electoral System

Thousands of Lebanese took to the streets on Sunday to demand the abolition of the sect-based electoral system in Lebanon, according to which the key political offices are apportioned among religious communities.

The demonstrators, starting from the national museum in Beirut, marched to the parliament.  They demanded the overturning of the sect-based system and democratic reform in the form of a new electoral law.  The current Lebanese system stipulates that the president be Maronite Christian, the prime minister be Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the parliament be Shi’i Muslim.


This video was released by TeleSur on 10 April 2011.  Translation by Yoshie Furuhashi (@yoshiefuruhashi | yoshie.furuhashi [at] gmail.com).  Cf. “Thousands of Lebanese Rallied in Beirut for Revolution against Regime” (Moqavemat, 10 April 2011).


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