In the heart of Beirut, the Lebanese Parliament has recently become the stage for a dramatic showdown that could shape the nation’s political future. On October 1, 2025, a scheduled parliamentary session was abruptly derailed, marking a pivotal moment in Lebanon’s ongoing struggle over electoral law and political control. This disruption, orchestrated by a coalition of opposition blocs, has sent shockwaves through the country’s already tense political landscape, highlighting deep divisions and raising urgent questions about the future of Lebanese democracy.
According to Ndāʼ al-Waṭan, the session was called by Speaker Nabih Berri, a political veteran long considered the gatekeeper of parliamentary proceedings. Yet, for two consecutive days, a determined majority of lawmakers succeeded in denying the session the quorum needed to proceed. Their aim? To force the inclusion of electoral law reforms on the agenda—a move Berri had resisted. This rare setback for the Speaker, who for decades held sway over parliament during both Syrian and Iranian influence, was described by parliamentary sources as a “double slap—electoral and procedural.” The message was clear: Berri’s once iron grip on the legislative process is slipping.
The crux of the conflict centers on the fate of Lebanon’s upcoming parliamentary elections. Opposition groups, bolstered by support from the Lebanese diaspora, are insisting that the elections proceed on schedule and under the current law, which grants expatriates the right to vote. In contrast, the so-called “duo” of the Amal Movement and Hezbollah are accused of maneuvering to delay the process, seeking to eliminate the expatriate vote and, ultimately, to extend the current parliament’s mandate. As one prominent parliamentary source told Ndāʼ al-Waṭan, “The slap that Berri received contains a clear message that the parliamentary key is no longer in his hand. This is a warning to Berri that things have moved elsewhere and are set to develop further at this level.”
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs have taken concrete steps to facilitate expatriate voting. In a joint statement, the ministries announced that, starting October 2, Lebanese citizens living abroad could begin registering to vote in the upcoming elections, a process set to close on November 20, 2025. The statement emphasized the ongoing collaboration between Interior Minister Ahmad Hajar and Foreign Minister Youssef Raji, who are “working almost daily to ensure the best administrative and technical conditions to guarantee the participation of Lebanese abroad in this constitutional entitlement.”
But the struggle over the electoral law is only one facet of a much broader crisis. According to Ndāʼ al-Waṭan and corroborated by other Lebanese media, the country remains mired in a severe economic downturn that has persisted for over 20 months. The opposition has repeatedly accused the government of failing to address the worsening hardship, with inflation and unemployment continuing to soar. These economic woes have fueled public anger and increased pressure on the government to enact meaningful reforms.
The parliamentary standoff has also exposed procedural ambiguities and deepened mistrust among lawmakers. The failure to achieve quorum on October 1 led Speaker Berri to adjourn the session after just thirty minutes. Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab clarified from parliament, “If there is no quorum, yesterday’s session is disrupted and all the laws we passed will remain pending until a second session is held to close the record.” He added, “MPs have the right to attend or boycott, and if the legislative session is not held today, we do not know when the next session will be, nor what the next step after today’s boycott will be.” Bou Saab warned that the paralysis of parliament threatens to stall crucial reform legislation, worsening the crisis and requiring a political solution.
From the opposition’s perspective, the walkout was not an act of obstruction but a principled stand for parliamentary procedure. MP George Adwan, head of the Administration and Justice Committee, stated, “Today’s step is not to disrupt the work of the council at all, but to put the council’s work on the path it should follow, which is to include the urgent draft law on the session’s agenda.” Adwan insisted that a majority of MPs want to discuss amendments to the current electoral law and, more importantly, do not wish to delay the elections.
Jibran Bassil, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, echoed these sentiments, declaring from the parliamentary floor, “Disrupting the sessions is the right of MPs, and there is an existing law to hold the elections on their constitutional date. There is a joint report between the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs.” He also accused certain factions of orchestrating a systematic effort to amend the law and postpone the elections, adding, “We reject the extension of the current parliament, and there is nothing that justifies not holding the elections. Whoever does not want to disrupt the elections does not disrupt the existing law.”
For Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces, the blame for the impasse lies squarely with Speaker Berri. In a statement, Geagea asserted, “The disruption of the legislative session falls on Speaker Nabih Berri. How can it be that 67 MPs submitted, months ago—not just yesterday—a draft urgent law to amend the current election law to prepare for the entitlement on time, and yet the Speaker ignored this proposal? The claim that the proposal is being studied in the subcommittee is invalid, because urgent draft laws are not referred to committees except after being presented to the general assembly, which alone has the right to remove their urgency and send them to committees. The solution is solely in Speaker Berri’s hands, by assuming his responsibilities as Speaker of the Council and calling for a legislative session today, with the urgent draft law submitted by 67 MPs at the top of the agenda.”
Amid these parliamentary battles, the broader political context remains fraught. President Najib Mikati, in a speech to parliament, stressed the importance of maintaining national stability and unity in the face of external pressures and internal strife. He warned against the escalation of tensions and called for dialogue and consensus to steer Lebanon through its current challenges. Mikati highlighted the risks posed by foreign interventions and internal disputes, particularly those involving Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, which he said threaten to sow division within the government and parliament.
Efforts at reconciliation have continued elsewhere in the capital. President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met at Baabda Palace to discuss the country’s general situation, the results of recent meetings in New York at the United Nations, and ways to address the fallout from the recent “Raouche Rock incident”—a reference to a controversial episode that further strained relations among Lebanon’s ruling elite. Despite these high-level talks, the underlying rifts remain unresolved, and the political temperature in Beirut shows little sign of cooling.
As the registration period for expatriate voters opens, all eyes are on the next moves by Speaker Berri and the ruling coalition. Will the government heed the opposition’s call for reform and allow elections to proceed as scheduled, or will the deadlock deepen, risking further instability? For now, Lebanon stands at a crossroads, with its democratic future hanging in the balance.
