Lebanon went to the polls on Sunday, May 15 to elect 128 MPs to represent the country for the next four years.
The Lebanese forces say they are now the largest Christian party in parliament for the first time while Hezbollah and its allies have not managed to secure over 65 seats that would give them a majority.
However, that doesn't mean that the Iran-backed group's opponents will form a cohesive bloc to elect a government or set the agenda. Experts anticipate the new legislative body will be fractured and passing needed bills will be a struggle.
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An electoral worker sits next to ballot boxes, at the Justice Palace, in Jdeideh. Reuters -
A soldier stands guard as ballots are counted at the Justice Palace. Reuters -
Jad Ghosn, an opposition candidate, gestures as people wait for the announcement of official election results, in Jdeideh. Reuters -
Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi announces the final results for some districts. EPA -
Opposition candidate Yassin Yassin gestures as he is greeted by supporters in Jeb Jennin, West Bekaa. Reuters -
Supporters of the Lebanese Forces take to the streets during parliamentary elections in the Ashrafieh district of Beirut. Bloomberg -
Lebanon headed to the polls with its economy in the grip of hyperinflation. Bloomberg -
Lebanese youths supporting Hezbollah and Amal movement wave their party flags after parliamentary elections in a suburb of Beirut. EPA -
Supporters of Lebanon's Shiite groups Hezbollah and Amal lift their flags during a motorbike rally after voting. AFP -
Children swim in an inflatable pool that supporters of former prime minister Saad Hariri installed to illustrate their intention to boycott parliamentary elections in Beirut, Lebanon. AP Photo -
Voters queue to place their vote in parliamentary elections in Beirut, Lebanon. EPA -
Nabih Berri, Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, stands in a polling booth to vote in Tebnin. Reuters -
Voters register at a polling station in Beirut. Bloomberg -
Lebanese President Michel Aoun follows the parliamentary elections on screens from the Presidential Palace in Beirut. AP -
A Lebanese woman shows her inked finger after she cast her vote at a polling station in Beirut. AP -
Voters look at a list of candidates at a polling station in Beirut. Bloomberg -
Lebanese policemen help a voter into a polling station in Beirut. AP -
A Lebanese voter casts her ballot paper in Beirut. EPA -
Gyorgy Holvenyi (R), chief observer of the European Union election observation mission, visits a polling station in Beirut. EPA -
Lebanese people wait to vote during parliamentary elections in the capital city. EPA -
Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, Grand Mufti of Lebanon, casts his ballot paper during parliamentary elections in Beirut. EPA -
People queue to cast their votes in the Lebanese capital. AP -
Posters in Al Tariq Al Jadida, Beirut, depict Lebanon’s former prime minister Saad Hariri. Reuters -
A woman prepares her ballot at a polling station in a southern suburb of Beirut. AFP -
Former prime minister Hassan Diab, who succeeded Saad Hariri, casts his ballot in Beirut. AFP -
A voter checks lists for the parliamentary election at a polling station in the Lebanese capital Beirut. AFP -
A woman waits to vote in Beirut. EPA -
Security forces stand guard at Nur Square on the southern entrance of the northern Lebanese port city Tripoli. AFP -
Former Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora casts his vote at a polling station during the parliamentary election, in Sidon, southern Lebanon. Reuters -
A man check voters' lists in the capital Beirut. AP -
A woman votes in Lebanon's parliamentary elections in Beirut. AP -
Police check the ID of voters outside a polling station near the Lebanese coastal city of Byblos (Jbeil), north of Beirut. AFP -
A voter dips her finger in ink after casting her ballot in the parliamentary election at a polling station near Byblos. AFP -
A Lebanese woman shows her ink-marked thumb after voting in Shmustar, Bekaa valley. EPA -
People queueing to vote at Ras El Nabeh Public School for Girls. Fatima Al Mahmoud/ The National
Lebanese parliament 2018 vs 2020
The following table shows the 2018 parliament vs the results for 2022.
It's important to keep in mind that the electoral landscape has changed significantly while alliances and parliamentary blocs are always shifting making a direct comparison difficult.
The major changes are seen in the absence of the Future Movement in the 2022 race after former prime minister and party head Saad Hariri did not field candidates. Several of his MPs ran on other party lists but not as a national party.
In 2018, the Free Patriotic Movement ran a list with a large number of allies rather than direct party members. While these locally popular figures were elected in large numbers — as seen with their 29 seats altogether — they were not in fact a cohesive body in parliament and did not pursue the same coalition strategy in this election.
Full results by district:
The full results are now in and barring any upsets following legal challenges or recounts, the above table represents the full parliament for the 2022-2026 session.
Several key figures, such as deputy parliament speaker Elie Ferzli, lost their seat. Meanwhile, there is a new crop of opposition candidates ready to bring the demands of the 2019 protest movement to the chamber floor.
