Democracy in Lebanon: Political Parties and the Struggle for Power Since Syrian Withdrawal

by Abbas Assi

The 'Cedar Revolution' in Lebanon, which was sparked by the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri on 14 February 2005, was seen by many as an opportunity for Lebanon's fragile political system to move towards a more stable form of democracy. But contrary to these expectations, in the years since Syrian military withdrawal in April 2005, Lebanon has been plagued with sectarian and political unrest and conflict. Abbas Assi here explores the obstacles that impeded the democratic transition process and how subsequent events since 2005 (such as the passing of UNSCR 1559, the 2006 Hizbullah-Israel war and the Syrian conflict) have bolstered this trend. By looking at these, Assi examines how the intersection of the influence of external factors and powers with domestic conflicts has shaped the behaviour of political parties and has had implications on their ability to reach compromises and initiate democratic reforms. By analysing the impact of the intersection of domestic and external factors on democracy, this book is a vital reference for those studying politics of Lebanon and the Middle East more broadly.

264 pages, Hardcover

First published May 30, 2016

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had read this when it was first published back in 2016 because it answers an awful lot of questions to the current state of Lebanon and why post the 2005 Syrian withdrawal the country is just as politically paralyzed was it was in the early 1970s.
Assi has taken a rigorous academic approach to analyzing the weaknesses of the Consociational Model, and the specific internal and external factors that further weaken it. This initial chapter is the driest and most difficult part to read, involving theoretical politics and then applying theory on a specific case-by-case basis to Lebanon, with occasional comparisons to other parts of the world e.g. Northern Ireland. As a result, at first glance, 'Democracy in Lebanon' appears highly repetitive and boring. Stick with it- it is worth the effort.
Things pick up a pace when the focus shifts firmly to Lebanon, the plus factors of the Taif Agreement and the problems that the enforced Syrian peace brought with it. Essentially the unspoken truth here is that by removing the Syrian military, espionage and State apparatus from the country, an arbiter or buffer between competing sects was removed and the result was pre 1990 sectarian rivalries resurfacing [Sunni v Shia, Future v Hezbollah] that have new justifications put in place by Taif itself. The Agreement allowed existing sectarian divisions to become entrenched leading to new scrambles for Parliamentary seats, new methods of electoral rigging and new reasons to continue old conflicts.
Overall, 'Democracy in Lebanon' is a slim volume, just over 200 pages of main text, that can be read quickly [but really should be read with care and patience] that is essential to understanding the problems faced by the country from 2005 to present. In the light of the events of October 2019 onwards, it probably needs a new edition, if not a complete rewrite.