Chadi Hileneh, "Akhbar al-Yawm" agency

Bassil Revives the "Orthodox Law"… A Step Forward or Political Maneuver?

Sources close to FPM: The Maronite Patriarchate is expected to endorse the proposal

The head of the "Free Patriotic Movement," MP Gebran Bassil, has revived what is commonly referred to as the "Orthodox Law" for parliamentary elections. This proposal was originally introduced and promoted over a decade ago by former Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elie Ferzli. Bassil stated: "We have submitted a draft electoral law based on the 'Orthodox' proposal with certain additions, so that the discussion starts from the core principle: the National Pact".

Sources close to FPM told "Akhbar Al-Yawm" agency that Bassil will not accept anything less than what he has proposed for the upcoming 2026 elections. They argue that this proposal carries multiple advantages and benefits for Lebanese society in general and the Christian community in particular. The law would ensure that Christians ultimately elect 64 MPs exclusively through Christian votes, making them independent of major Sunni-Shiite political alliances. This figure represents half of the total number of parliamentarians, which, according to the proponents of the law, is the rightful representation of Christians. In this context, the same sources suggest that the Maronite Patriarchate is likely to support this proposal.

On the other hand, constitutional experts with extensive knowledge argue that reviving the "Orthodox Law" at a time when the local political scene is already debating electoral reforms is nothing more than political posturing. They contend that the true objective behind reintroducing this proposal is to dismantle Lebanon’s framework of communal coexistence, as it contradicts the spirit of the Taif Agreement. These experts emphasize that this initiative is unlikely to succeed.

It is worth recalling that the original "Orthodox Law" proposal stipulated that Lebanon be treated as a single electoral district in which each sect elects its own representatives. The system would be based on proportional representation while maintaining the territorial representation of all Lebanese regions. According to the sectarian-political distribution adopted since 1989, Lebanon’s 128 parliamentary seats are evenly divided between Muslims and Christians as follows: 27 for Sunnis, 27 for Shiites, 34 for Maronites, 14 for Orthodox, 8 for Druze, 8 for Catholics, 5 for Armenians, 2 for Alawites, and 1 for minorities.