Lebanon Political Profile
Recent History and Relationship with Syria
The "National Covenant," an unwritten agreement negotiated among Lebanese political leaders in 1943, provided for the president to be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister to be a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies (renamed the National Assembly in 1979) to be a Shi’ite Muslim. The National Covenant also provided that parliament seats and civil service jobs be distributed on the basis of six Christians to five Muslims (including Druze, a separate religious group often associated with Islam). The president usually selects cabinet ministers to reflect the balance among Lebanon’s religious communities, distributing the portfolios among…
