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Abstract
By virtue of the new law on the Election of the Members of Parliament number 44 promulgated on June 17, 2017 and for the first time in its one hundred years history, Lebanon has adopted the proportional representation electoral system with a closed list and a preferential vote according to the greatest remainders. It is not surprising to note that the adoption of a specific electoral system is never considered in general as an innocent choice. This choice is controlled by the wishes of the governing political classes which aim though a new law on elections to achieve specific goals that are summarized by the doctrine in simple words: “the fair and efficient representation”. The new law in Lebanon does not constitute an exception in this respect. It aimed to advance the last objective by trying to promote it with other objectives that serve the interests of the decision makers by adopting the concept of small electoral districts where the preferential vote is restricted and to increase the ceiling of the electoral expenses in an uncommon and unusual way.
The new law has also adopted the territorial criteria in dividing the electoral districts instead of the demographic one. The motive of such option is to observe and maintain the social and historic harmonies in the electoral districts despite some errors which affect the principle of equality and create a discrimination among the citizens, voters and candidates.
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