Electoral Systems and Lebanon

IFES Introduction21 December 2009

This document provides a background to electoralsystems within a Lebanese political context. It does not

represent any formal IFES policy.

InternationalFoundationfor Electoral

Systems

Electoral Systems and Lebanon: an IFES overview

What is the role of an electoral system?

An electoral system is of key political and democratic importance as it determines who‘wins’ an election by the method of translating votes into seats.

Why are there different electoral systems?

Elections have different goals for different people:- Should elections give a clear result or reflect the different nuances of public

opinion?- Should seats be won by those with most votes, or should seats be divided

between all those who win votes?- Should elections lead to a strong government or to consensus politics?- Should elected representatives have close and local links to their voters?- Should elections prioritize the equal treatment of all voters?- Should elections ensure minority representation?

The choice between the different electoral systems available reflect how decision-makers wish to answer these and other questions of prime political importance.

What is the best electoral system?

There is no ‘perfect’ system. Each system has its advantages and disadvantages.However, all systems can be seen to have specific advantages and disadvantages, andmay also be prone to specific problems.

The Different Types of Electoral Systems

First Past ThePost

Two RoundBallot

AlternativeVote

Block VoteParty Block

Vote

Parallel Vote

MixedMember

Proportional

ListProportional

SingleTransferable

Vote

Limited Vote

Single Non-Transferable

Vote

OpenList PR

ClosedList PR

Plurality / Majoritarian Systems Proportional Systems

The Different Types of Electoral Systems: by number of seats per district

First Past ThePost

Two RoundBallot

AlternativeVote

Block Vote

Party BlockVote

Parallel Vote

MixedMember

Proportional

ProportionalList

SingleTransferable

Vote

Limited Vote

Single Non-Transferable

Vote

Systems with one seat per district Systems with more than one seat per district

The Different Types of Single Member Plurality / Majoritarian Systems

First Past The Post

Voters can vote for one candidate.The candidate with the highest number of voteswins the seat even if it is not more than 50%.

Two Round Majority Ballot

Voters can vote for one candidate.A candidate must have 50% of votes to win.

If no candidate wins in the first round, there is asecond round with the two candidates who won

the highest number of votes.i.e. voting takes place on two separate days

Voters can vote for more than one candidateand indicate their preference in a rank order.

If no candidate has 50% of first preference votes,the least popular candidate is eliminated and

their second preference votes are added, and soon until one candidate wins a majority of votes.

i.e. voting takes place on one day only

Alternative Vote

The Different Types of Multiple Member Plurality / Majoritarian Systems

Voters have more than vote and can vote for asmany candidates as there are seats available. Thecandidates with the highest number of votes win

the seats even if none gain more than 50%.

Block Vote

Party Block Vote

Voters have one vote only and can vote for onelist of candidates. All seats available are won by

the list with the highest number of votes win theseats even if none gain more than 50%.

Limited Vote

Voters have more than vote but not as many asthere are seats available. The candidates with the

highest number of votes win the seats even ifnone gain more than 50%.

Single Non-Transferable Vote

Voters have one vote only. The candidates withthe highest number of votes win the seats even if

none gain more than 50%.

The Different Types of Multiple Member Proportional Systems

Voters can vote for a list of candidates (e.g. fromone political party). The list receives seats in

proportion to their share of the vote.A formula is used to allocate seats

(the highest average method or the largestremainder method)

Proportional Representation Lists

Closed List PR

Voters choose the list they wish to support.Seats are allocated between candidates by the

choice of the party (usually in the order in whichcandidates appeared in the list).

Open List PR

Voters choose the list they wish to support and/ormay indicate a preference for one or more

candidates on that list. Seats are allocated betweencandidates by the order in which they have received

preferential votes.

Quotas

List PR systems can make it easier to get womenelected, especially through closed list systems.

Single Transferable Vote

Voters can vote for more than one candidateand indicate their preference in a rank order.An ‘electoral quotient’ is reached by dividingthe number of voters who voted by the seatsavailable. All candidates with more votes thanthe quotient are elected. The least successfulcandidates are eliminated and their secondpreferences are re-distributed AND the

second preferences of those elected. Processcontinues until all seats are allocated.

The Different Types of Mixed Systems

The election process is split: some seats areallocated by a plurality-majoritarian system, theothers by a PR list system. Voters vote as many

times as each system allows.e.g.

Parliament has 132 seats66 are elected using a block vote system.

66 are elected using a PR list system.

When allocating seats, there is no correlationbetween the two.

Parallel System

Mixed Member-Proportional System

The election process is split: some seats areallocated by a plurality-majoritarian system, theothers by a PR list system. Voters vote as many

times as each system allows.e.g.

Parliament has 60 seats40 are elected using a FPTP system.20 are elected using a PR list system.

Allocation of seats under PR attempts tocompensate for disproportional results under

the FPTP.

The Different Types of Systems in Practice: FPTP in the United Kingdom

Labour Conservatives Liberal

35.3% 32.5%22.1%

326 seats

(55.2%)198 seats

(30.7%) 62 seats

(9.6%)

Share of thevote

Number ofseats

The Different Types of Systems in Practice: Parallel Voting in Palestine

Fatah Hamas Other

41.4% 44.4%

12.3%

45 seats

(34%)

74 seats

(56.6%)

13 seats

(9.2%)

Share of thevote

Number ofseats

PR

28 BV

17

BV

45PR

29 PR

9 BV

4

Advantages & Disadvantages of different electoral systems

Important Factors in Electoral System Design

ContextWhat kind of political system is there in place?

What kind of historical precedent is there?

DistrictsHow many seats per district?

Can equal suffrage be guaranteed?

Drawing of boundariesHow will the districts be drawn up?

Who will draw the districts?

Guaranteeing RepresentationDo any groups need special protection?

(e.g. Ethnic or minority groups)Do any groups need assistance in getting elected?

(e.g. women)

Complexity and CostAre there issues with literacy, sustainability and logistics?

Political AcceptanceWhat kind of system do the decision-makers want?

What kind of system do the voters want?

Important Factors in Lebanon’s Electoral System

ContextLebanon has had 4 different electoral laws in 20 years (1990, 1996, 2000, 2008).

Always, the system used is ‘block vote’

DistrictsThe constitution requires the electoral system to reflect regional differences.

Drawing of boundariesThere has been no consistent method for drawing boundaries.

The 2008 Law used the ‘1960 Law’ system of qada boundaries (in most places)

Guaranteeing RepresentationThe constitution requires

(a) the electoral system to be 50%-50% Muslim/Christian(b)confessional representation on a proportional basis.

The electorate is 39.2% Christian and 60.7% Muslim(21.4% Maronite; 26.8% Shia’ 27.3% Sunni).

There is traditionally a very low number of women elected.

Complexity and CostLebanon does not use ballot papers

Political Acceptance

Lebanese politicians have no consensus on electoral system preferenceMany stakeholders advocate change

Lebanon’s 2009 Electoral System

128 parliamentary seats

RegionalFactors

ConfessionalFactors

6 Muhafazas26 qadas

11 differentconfessions

ChristianMuslim

Sunni 27Shia 27Druze 8Alawite 2

Maronite 34Orthodox 14

Catholic 8Armenian O 5Armenian C 1Protestant 1Minorities 1

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The Lebanese Ballot Paper

How to Vote in Lebanon

Lebanon has a unique electoral system.While mono-confessional districts (e.g. Kerswan has 5Maronite seats) have a ‘classic’ Block Vote, many other

districts have mini-competitions taking placee.g. (Beirut 1 has five FPTP contests).

However, candidates come together to form a singlelist so that one candidate’s supporters can benefit

another. Thus, each list wants the supporters of itsdifferent candidates to vote as a ‘block’ as whichever listhas the highest number of votes is likely to win all seats

in that district.

The list system is made more effective by the absenceof standardized ballots. Each list distributes its own

ballots; a ballot where voters could choose candidatesfrom different lists would undermine the chances of a

list winning all seats. The only district where votes werecast ‘across list’ was Metn.

The system means that there is little relationshipbetween the number of seats won in Parliament and

proportion of the national share of the vote.

In Kerswan, the FPM list won all 5seats with 51%-53% of the vote.

In Beirut 1, the March 14 list won all5 seats with 52-54% of the vote.

Photo from www.qifanabki.com

Possible Alternatives

77 elected using Block Vote

System

Unchanged allocation of 128 seatsbetween 11 confessions

51 electedusing PR List

System

27 BV districtsbased on qada

(1960 law)

6 PR districtsbased onmuhafaza

Voters can votefor as many

candidates asseats in the

district

Voters can votefor one list perdistrict and for

up to twocandidate

preferences

PR lists must include aminimum number ofwomen candidates

The Boutros Commission proposal National PR List

128 elected using PR Listsystem

Voters can vote for onelist.

Regional PR List

128 elected using PR Listsystem

One single nationaldistrict

Confessional / Womenquotas?

Different regionaldistricts

Voters can vote for onelist.

Confessional / Womenquotas?

Single Member Districts

128 elected using FPTP,AV etc

128 different districts

MMP

Similar to Boutros butwith compensatory

elements

Key issues for Lebanon’s electoral system

Has the Block Vote system actually worked inreaching its goals?

What does Lebanon want from an electoralsystem?

How many seats should there be in parliament?

Should there be confessional reserved seats?

Should there be a review of confessional numbers?

Should there be a mechanism for increasing thenumber of women?

What kind of boundaries should there be?

Should ballot papers be introduced?

What kind of electoral system do the politicianswant?

What kind of electoral system and politicians doesthe public want?

Who should decide on theelectoral system?