Constitution of Lebanon

The Constitution of Lebanon was adopted on 23 May 1926. Initiated during the French Mandate, it established a governance model based on confessionalism to accommodate Lebanon's religious communities.^[1]

Drafted with contributions from prominent figures and drawing inspiration from the French Third Republic, the constitution enshrined principles of liberty, equality, and religious freedom while instituting a system that allocated political representation and power based on religious affiliation. This included an equal division of legislative seats between Christians and Muslims, with further proportional distribution among their sects.^[1]

Post-independence, the constitution underwent significant modifications, highlighted by changes including the 1943 National Pact and further refined by the 1989 Taif Agreement, with the latter aimed at resolving the 15-year Lebanese Civil War.^[1]

^ ^a ^b ^c Najem, Tom Pierre; Amore, Roy C. (2021). Historical dictionary of Lebanon. Historical dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East (2nd ed.). Lanham (Md.): Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 88–89. ISBN 978-1-5381-2043-9.

[:0-1] Najem, Tom Pierre; Amore, Roy C. (2021). Historical dictionary of Lebanon. Historical dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East (2nd ed.). Lanham (Md.): Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 88–89. ISBN 978-1-5381-2043-9.

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