Sectarian Divide: Why the ‘Amal Movement’ Pushed for a Lebanese Senate

The debate in Lebanon has once again turned to the creation of a Senate, amid a parliament where sectarian quotas play a dominant role in securing electoral outcomes in the country.

Lebanese MP Ali Hassan Khalil, the political aide to Shiite leader and Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri, has proposed the establishment of a Senate in Lebanon, with a term of office set at six years.

Electoral Reform

MTV reported on March 20, 2025, that MP Ali Hassan Khalil has introduced a new electoral law proposal, which consists of two parts.

The first part calls for the election of a 134-member Parliament, expanding the current body by adding six MPs to represent the Lebanese diaspora. 

The new parliament would be elected for a four-year term under a proportional representation system, with Lebanon serving as a single electoral district.

The second part of the proposal suggests the establishment of a Senate with 46 members, elected for a six-year term. 

These elections would be held on a sectarian basis, with voters choosing candidates from their own sect, while Lebanon would remain a single electoral district under a proportional representation system.

Currently, the Lebanese Parliament consists of 128 MPs, with seats allocated as follows: 28 for Sunnis, 28 for Shias, 8 for Druze, 34 for Maronites, 14 for Orthodox Christians, 8 for Catholics, 5 for Armenians, 2 for Alawites, and one for minorities within the Christian sect.

On March 24, 2025, the Lebanese Parliament postponed discussions on proposed amendments to the electoral law following heated debates among political factions over the timing of the proposals and the demands of divided political forces. 

Key disagreements emerged between groups pushing for changes, including Speaker Nabih Berri's bloc, and those opposing any modifications, notably the Lebanese Forces Party, which stands in opposition to Hezbollah.

The political alliance of Hezbollah and “Amal Movement,” known as the "Shia duo," suffered a setback after their failure to block the election of Joseph Aoun as Lebanon's president on January 13, 2025, and the formation of a new government under Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam.

The Shia duo failed to impose ministerial appointments outside the competence circle on Salam's government or to continue the sectarian power-sharing game at the expense of merit.

The current parliamentary term is set to end in late May 2026, with elections expected to take place in April or May of the same year.

Although the idea of establishing a Senate is not new, the challenge lies in the lack of agreement on its powers and responsibilities.

Article 22 of Lebanon's amended 1990 constitution stipulates that, with the election of the first non-sectarian parliamentary council, a Senate shall be established, representing all spiritual families, with its powers confined to vital national matters.

Following the signing of the Taif Agreement by the warring factions in Lebanon (1975–1990) on September 30, 1989, the agreement only referred to the creation of the Senate without addressing its powers, electoral mechanisms, number of members, or term length. 

The issue of who will hold the presidency of the Senate remains the major point of contention.

Senate Debate

In recent years, many Lebanese officials have raised the issue of establishing a Senate; the Druze community argues that the presidency of the council should be allocated to them.

Meanwhile, some Christian political figures view the creation of such a body as an opportune moment for a Christian figure to assume its presidency, in line with the principle of parity with the Speaker of Parliament, who is traditionally from the Shiite Muslim sect.

The Taif Agreement enshrined a power-sharing formula based on sectarian quotas, with key positions allocated among Lebanon's three main religious groups: the presidency for Christians, the prime ministership for Sunnis, and the speakership of parliament for Shiites.

If a Senate were to be established, it would serve as the upper house of the Lebanese parliament, a body that was abolished in 1927 due to its obstruction of government and parliamentary functions.

The Senate at the time was composed of 16 members, representing all sects. Seven were appointed by the prime minister after consulting with the cabinet, while the remaining members were elected, with each senator serving a six-year term.

Many observers argue that the creation of a Senate is premature, given that Lebanon has yet to transcend its entrenched sectarian system.

While proponents of the Senate argue that it is a necessary reform, those opposing the proposal at this time contend that such a move is only feasible "once weapons are solely in the hands of the state." 

They base this stance on the Taif Agreement, which stipulates that “reforms begin only after the state's monopoly on arms.”

Several lawmakers have questioned the timing of the proposal, particularly as the creation of a Senate, according to the constitution, can only occur after a parliamentary election based on national, not sectarian, grounds, as constitutional expert lawyer Said Malik noted in a press statement on March 25, 2025. 

A number of MPs have accused President Berri of using the proposed electoral law amendments and the Senate's creation to shift attention away from the issue of Hezbollah's weapons towards other matters.

Senate Controversy

Former Lebanese President Michel Suleiman stated in a press interview on March 25, 2025, that the Baabda Declaration, which was agreed upon by all parties, remains the appropriate framework for completing the implementation of the Taif Agreement. 

He emphasized that Clause 12, which relates to Lebanon's neutrality in regional conflicts, remains the essential pathway for discussions on both the creation of a Senate and the amendment of the electoral law. 

The Baabda Declaration is a political agreement reached in June 2012, reaffirming Lebanon's neutrality and its separation from regional conflicts, particularly the Syrian war.

The agreement, signed by most Lebanese political leaders, aims to stabilize Lebanon by promoting non-interference in neighboring crises. 

However, Hezbollah's military involvement in Syria and beyond has undermined its implementation.

According to Suleiman, "Neutrality largely ensures that Lebanon’s identity remains unchanged, regardless of shifts in legislative power balances."

"It is advisable to focus on establishing the Senate, testing its effectiveness for a full term, and subjecting the issue of a fundamental electoral law reform to discussion within the National Commission for the Abolition of Political Sectarianism, in line with the phased plan outlined in Article 95."

"While the proposals presented to the committees align with the constitution, the urgent matter today is the disarmament and the exclusive control of weapons by the state."

Samy Gemayel, leader of the Kataeb Party, argued that "the mechanism for creating a Senate is not being presented in the right manner, especially since we do not know its powers or its relationship with the Chambers of Deputies and Ministers." He stressed that "the introduction of a new constitutional institution must be part of a larger constitutional reform process."

"The Senate is an important issue, and we are in favor of its creation, but it should be part of a broad constitutional process. When that process takes place, we can discuss the matter in depth," Gemayel posted on X.

In this context, constitutional expert Saeed Malik said that "the creation of a Senate is stipulated in the Taif Agreement, and it is a legitimate demand, a necessity, and an essential need. However, this is not the right time to raise the issue, as its purpose is to maintain the role of sects and communities until a non-sectarian Parliament is elected."

"Given that Parliament is still elected on a sectarian basis, with its composition rooted in sectarian and religious divisions, it is difficult to move forward with the establishment of a Senate," he added in press statements.

"Additionally, the creation of this Senate requires extensive measures and discussions to establish its structure and operational mechanisms, matters that the constitution does not address."

"While the demand for this issue is legitimate, it is being used for ulterior motives, especially as there is an attempt to divert attention from more pressing matters, such as international resolutions, the consolidation of weapons under the state's control, and the implementation of a plan by the Higher Defense Council to ensure that arms are held solely by the legitimate state and the Lebanese Army," Malik noted.

Hezbollah's weapons have ignited controversy in Lebanon, with the Lebanese Forces and the Phalange parties calling for a clear timetable for their disarmament during a government session in mid-March 2025.