The parliamentary elections were an indicator of people’s fears and feelings; some interpreted them as a referendum on those in power and others as an opportunity to build a dream

By Chaden Hani

Lebanon’s parliamentary elections were held on the 5^th of May 2018, after an interval of 9 years. For a variety of domestic, regional and international factors, the Lebanese people were denied the possibility of voting and thus an opportunity for seeing viable political change for nearly a decade. The percentage of eligible voters who voted in 2018 was 49%, compared to 50% in 2009.

There was a general expectation that after 9 years, Lebanese voters would enthusiastically rush to the ballot box in order to form a new parliament with a new vision for saving the country from legislative stagnation, a lack of basic services, an absence of viable solutions to increasingly untenable living costs, an increase in youth migration and the proliferation of governmental corruption in all sectors of the state. But, the results were surprising. Some attribute the results to the new electoral law that relies on proportional representation. Others attribute it to a general sense of desperation and hopelessness on the part of those who wish to see Lebanon  move beyond the cycle of sectarianism rooted in the mindset of the Lebanese people.

In a survey conducted by the Institute for Middle East Studies studying those factors affecting Lebanese voter decisions (with a sample size of 330 reflecting the diverse socio-political and religious make up of Lebanon) the results are as follow:

• In response to a question exploring one’s motivations for voting, the results indicate that 56% of voters aspired to change the current realities facing the country. 20% consider that the electoral list they voted for best represented the overall vision they have for Lebanon’s destiny and future.
• Of the total number of respondents, 21% did not vote; 33% of which did not think voting would have any impact on the condition of the country. The same percentage were opposed to the new electoral law, which they saw as constraining their freedom of choice and limiting their electoral options.

Analysis

As indicated by the decision of citizens to participate or not in the elections, the results reflect certain socio-political realities related to Lebanese democracy. For instance:

• More than half of eligible Lebanese voters refused to participate in the elections due to a lack of faith in the possibility of change or confidence in the ability of the political system to succeed in tackling Lebanon’s social ills. These non-voters surrendered to the sectarian reality prevailing in the country. As such, this segment of society expresses a loss of hope which is prominent among Lebanese.
• In addition, a large number of voters chose to reelect the incumbent, or the incumbent’s chosen (and oftentimes related) heir. As such, rather than being an election proper whereby public servants are held accountable to their various constituencies, the voting represented instead a referendum, a test of loyalty to those already holding the reins of power in Lebanon.

Theological Reflection and Recommendations

The Church of Christ lives and serves its neighbors and country in accordance with the ethics of God’s Kingdom, which has already come but not yet in its fullness. It has come through our Lord’s teaching in his Sermon on the Mount, which focuses on righteousness, love, and integrity in thought and action. Faith is not simply expressed through spiritual practice or through service to widows and orphans. It is the continuous and consistent effort to implement the ethics of the Kingdom in the societies and countries in which we live.

If one thing seems clear, it is that our people have lost hope. They despair at the corruption and empty promises, at the political interests and conspiracies that keep playing out at the expense of the nation. Does all of this not reflect the polar opposite of Kingdom ethics?

The Church is established on living hope. It understands the meaning of hope and knows how to spread it in the world. Our role as believers today is to be “Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore on Christ’s behalf: Be reconcilded to God” (2 Corinthians 5: 20). Live out and activate the ethics of the Kingdom, holding on to hope, persisting in the service of our communities through investment in public life, and through the active involvement of the church in social action, relying on prayer in faith that God knows our needs, and that in our weakness and despair, his power will come through.

Where then do we put our trust? In a leader who promises to ease our daily challenges or in the God of heaven, our all-knowing and all-powerful Father, who is also Emanuel, “God with us” through life’s difficulties? Whatever may be the powers that rule our country, God remains the Master of the world, who “sends His command to the earth; His word [running] swiftly” (Psalm 147:15).