Lebanon’s Endemic Power-Sharing Dilemmas and their Manifestation in the Beirut Blast

Abstract

This article examines how Lebanon’s power-sharing arrangements, embedded within the politics of sectarianism, entrench “recurring dilemmas” that undermine political change, reform, and accountability. The three dilemmas uncovered in this article include the propensity of Lebanon’s power-sharing system to political deadlock, its institutionalization of impunity, as well as its veritable disconnect from grassroots demands. This article focuses on the case of the Beirut blast and demonstrates how the tragedy represents a microcosm of the convergence of these power-sharing dilemmas. The analysis highlights the limitations of Lebanon’s power-sharing system. It suggests that as long as the current sectarian power-sharing system remains in place, the system’s endemic dilemmas will continue to manifest and preclude meaningful reform, effective policy making and justice.