How are elections held in Lebanon, do the Prime Minister and President run the country or does Hezbollah have the upper hand?

Lebanon has once again become the center of discussion around the world after the pager blast on Tuesday. The power of Iran-backed Hezbollah present within its borders has raised questions about Lebanon's democratic government. Lebanon is supposed to be a liberal democracy, people in the country participate in elections and elect the government by casting their votes. But in the past few years, Lebanon's political power has been in the hands of Hezbollah.

Hezbollah is a Shia organization, it is a political and powerful organization of Lebanon. It is believed that Hezbollah was established by Iran in the 1980s against Israel. Since 1992, this organization has been participating in the general elections of Lebanon, which has also strengthened its political power.

What is the political system like in Lebanon?

In Lebanon, the top posts of the government are reserved for different communities. For example, the post of President is reserved for Maronite Catholics, while the post of Prime Minister is reserved for Sunni Muslims and the post of Speaker of Parliament is reserved for Shia Muslims. Not only this, the posts of Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Deputy Prime Minister in Lebanon are reserved for Greek Orthodox Christians, and the post of General Staff of the Army is reserved for Druze. In simple words, the government system of Lebanon works on the lines of 'the greater the number, the greater the share'.

However, France is behind this political system of Lebanon, which was implemented in the year 1920. At that time Lebanon was under the rule of France. Surprisingly, France, one of the most secular countries in Europe, gave birth to a political system in Lebanon that was based solely on religion.

Who has what share in Lebanon's population?

The total population of Lebanon is about 53 lakhs, of which 67.8 percent are Muslims and about 32 percent are Christians. Among them, the population of Maronite Catholic Christians is higher and about 4.5 percent are Druze. Shia and Sunni are almost equal in the Muslim population. Among them, Shia Muslims are 31.2 percent while Sunni Muslims are 31.9 percent.

People have limited options in elections.

Lebanon regularly holds fair elections but people have limited choices, they have to choose a person from a pre-decided community. The biggest thing is that even though Lebanon has a presidential and parliamentary system, for more than 40 years, the top positions of power have been occupied by a few special people. If any ruler or leader wants to establish unconditional peace with Israel, he is dismissed and there is also a fear of a deadly attack from Hezbollah fighters.

If we talk about the power of the government, it is only on paper. Due to the religion-based political system, Hezbollah has been dominating the government. In Lebanon, Hezbollah not only has political power but it also has its own military power. It has a stockpile of missiles and rockets and thousands of fighters, through which it has been constantly challenging Israel and America.

Does Hezbollah run the real government?

The people in power in Lebanon do not have real power. In a way, it can be said that Hezbollah runs the government of Lebanon. Despite not holding any public office, the Hezbollah chief decides the fate of the people of Lebanon.

Hassan Nasrallah, a Shia religious leader, has been heading this organization since 1992. He has close relations with Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei. Hassan Nasrallah's address is broadcast on Lebanon's state television. Along with the common people, Lebanon's Prime Minister and President, who are at the top of power, also listen to Nasrallah's address and prepare the policies of the Lebanon government accordingly.