Constitution

Lebanon is an independent state with complete sovereignty and territorial integrity. Its boundaries are as follows: To the north: From the mouth of the Nahr al-Kabir along a line following the course of that river to its junction with Wadi Khaled ascending to the peak of Qamar. To the east: The ridge line separating Wadi Khaled from the Orontes River (Nahr al-Asi), passing through the villages of Musheirife, Rab'ata, Hait, Absh, Haushan, at the level of the villages of Brina and Matraba; this line follows the northern borders of the Baalbeck district on the north-eastern and south-eastern sides, then the eastern borders of the districts of Baalbeck, Hasbaya and Rashaya. To the south: The current southern borders of the districts of Tyre and Marjayoun. To the west: The Mediterranean Sea.

No part of the Lebanese territory may be ceded or alienated.

The boundaries of the administrative regions may not be modified except by law.

Greater Lebanon is a Republic with Beirut as its capital.

The Lebanese flag consists of three horizontal stripes: red, white, and red. The white stripe is twice the width of each red stripe and bears in its centre a green cedar tree. The upper and lower edges of the cedar touch the upper and lower red stripes respectively, and the width of the cedar equals one-third of the width of the white stripe.

Legislative power shall be vested in a single body, the Chamber of Deputies.

Executive power shall be entrusted to the Council of Ministers, which shall exercise it in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.

Both the Chamber of Deputies and the Council of Ministers have the right to propose legislation. No law may be promulgated unless it has been passed by the Chamber of Deputies.

A Constitutional Council shall be established to supervise the constitutionality of laws and to adjudicate disputes arising from presidential and parliamentary elections. The right to refer to this Council regarding the constitutionality of laws is reserved to the President of the Republic, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, the Prime Minister, or ten members of the Chamber of Deputies. Religious community leaders recognised by law may refer to the Council exclusively on matters relating to personal status, freedom of belief, practice of religious rites, and religious education. The rules governing the organisation of the Council, its procedures, composition and jurisdiction shall be established by law.

Judicial power shall be exercised by courts of various degrees and jurisdictions within a system provided for by law, which shall also provide judges and litigants with the necessary guarantees. The conditions and limits of such guarantees shall be defined by law. Judges shall be independent in the exercise of their functions, and all judgments and decisions shall be rendered and executed in the name of the Lebanese people.

Every Lebanese national who has attained the age of twenty-one years shall be entitled to be registered as a voter, provided that the conditions required by the electoral law are fulfilled.

Lebanese nationality and the means of acquiring, retaining and losing it shall be determined by law.

All Lebanese shall be equal before the law and shall equally enjoy civil and political rights and shall equally be bound by public obligations and duties without any distinction.

Personal liberty is guaranteed and protected by law. No one may be arrested, imprisoned or detained except in accordance with the provisions of law. No offence may be established nor any penalty imposed except by law.

Freedom of belief is absolute. The State in rendering homage to God the Almighty respects all religions and creeds and guarantees, under its protection, the free exercise of all religious rites provided that the public order is not disturbed. It also guarantees that the personal status and religious interests of the population, to whatever religious sect they belong, shall be respected.

Education is free insofar as it is not contrary to public order and morals and does not affect the dignity of any of the religions or creeds. There shall be no infringement of the right of religious communities to have their own schools, provided they comply with the general regulations issued by the State concerning public education.

Arabic is the official national language. A law shall determine the cases in which the French language may be used.

Every Lebanese citizen has the right to hold public office, no preference being made between citizens except on the basis of merit and competence, according to the conditions established by law. A special regulation shall be established guaranteeing the rights of civil servants in the departments to which they belong.

Freedom of opinion, freedom of expression through speech and writing, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association are all guaranteed within the limits established by law.

One's home is inviolable. No one may enter it except in the cases and in the manner prescribed by law.

Property is under the protection of the law. No property may be expropriated except for reasons of public utility, in the cases established by law and after fair compensation has been paid.

Upon the election of the first parliament on a non-confessional basis, a Senate shall be established in which all the spiritual families shall be represented, and its powers shall be limited to matters of major national importance.

The Chamber of Deputies shall be composed of elected deputies whose number, and manner of election, shall be established by the applicable electoral laws. Until such time as the Chamber of Deputies enacts an electoral law outside the bounds of sectarian representation, the parliamentary seats shall be distributed in accordance with the following rules:

1. 1)Equally between Christians and Muslims.
2. 2)Proportionally among the sects of each of the two communities.
3. 3)Proportionally among the geographic regions.
4. 4)Exceptionally, and for one time only, to be filled by appointment in a single batch by a two-thirds majority by the National Reconciliation Government: the vacant parliamentary seats as of the date of publication of this law, and the seats to be created in the electoral law in application of equal representation between Christians and Muslims, in accordance with the National Reconciliation Document; the electoral law shall specify the details of the application of this Article.

If the Chamber of Deputies is dissolved, the decision of dissolution must include a call to hold new elections, which shall be conducted in accordance with Article 24 and concluded within a period not exceeding three months.

Lebanon is an independent state with complete sovereignty and territorial integrity. Its boundaries are as follows: To the north: From the mouth of the Nahr al-Kabir along a line following the course of that river to its junction with Wadi Khaled ascending to the peak of Qamar. To the east: The ridge line separating Wadi Khaled from the Orontes River (Nahr al-Asi), passing through the villages of Musheirife, Rab'ata, Hait, Absh, Haushan, at the level of the villages of Brina and Matraba; this line follows the northern borders of the Baalbeck district on the north-eastern and south-eastern sides, then the eastern borders of the districts of Baalbeck, Hasbaya and Rashaya. To the south: The current southern borders of the districts of Tyre and Marjayoun. To the west: The Mediterranean Sea.

No part of the Lebanese territory may be ceded or alienated.

The boundaries of the administrative regions may not be modified except by law.

Greater Lebanon is a Republic with Beirut as its capital.

The Lebanese flag consists of three horizontal stripes: red, white, and red. The white stripe is twice the width of each red stripe and bears in its centre a green cedar tree. The upper and lower edges of the cedar touch the upper and lower red stripes respectively, and the width of the cedar equals one-third of the width of the white stripe.

Legislative power shall be vested in a single body, the Chamber of Deputies.

Executive power shall be entrusted to the Council of Ministers, which shall exercise it in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.

Both the Chamber of Deputies and the Council of Ministers have the right to propose legislation. No law may be promulgated unless it has been passed by the Chamber of Deputies.

A Constitutional Council shall be established to supervise the constitutionality of laws and to adjudicate disputes arising from presidential and parliamentary elections. The right to refer to this Council regarding the constitutionality of laws is reserved to the President of the Republic, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, the Prime Minister, or ten members of the Chamber of Deputies. Religious community leaders recognised by law may refer to the Council exclusively on matters relating to personal status, freedom of belief, practice of religious rites, and religious education. The rules governing the organisation of the Council, its procedures, composition and jurisdiction shall be established by law.

Judicial power shall be exercised by courts of various degrees and jurisdictions within a system provided for by law, which shall also provide judges and litigants with the necessary guarantees. The conditions and limits of such guarantees shall be defined by law. Judges shall be independent in the exercise of their functions, and all judgments and decisions shall be rendered and executed in the name of the Lebanese people.

Every Lebanese national who has attained the age of twenty-one years shall be entitled to be registered as a voter, provided that the conditions required by the electoral law are fulfilled.

Lebanese nationality and the means of acquiring, retaining and losing it shall be determined by law.

All Lebanese shall be equal before the law and shall equally enjoy civil and political rights and shall equally be bound by public obligations and duties without any distinction.

Personal liberty is guaranteed and protected by law. No one may be arrested, imprisoned or detained except in accordance with the provisions of law. No offence may be established nor any penalty imposed except by law.

Freedom of belief is absolute. The State in rendering homage to God the Almighty respects all religions and creeds and guarantees, under its protection, the free exercise of all religious rites provided that the public order is not disturbed. It also guarantees that the personal status and religious interests of the population, to whatever religious sect they belong, shall be respected.

Education is free insofar as it is not contrary to public order and morals and does not affect the dignity of any of the religions or creeds. There shall be no infringement of the right of religious communities to have their own schools, provided they comply with the general regulations issued by the State concerning public education.

Arabic is the official national language. A law shall determine the cases in which the French language may be used.

Every Lebanese citizen has the right to hold public office, no preference being made between citizens except on the basis of merit and competence, according to the conditions established by law. A special regulation shall be established guaranteeing the rights of civil servants in the departments to which they belong.

Freedom of opinion, freedom of expression through speech and writing, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association are all guaranteed within the limits established by law.

One's home is inviolable. No one may enter it except in the cases and in the manner prescribed by law.

Property is under the protection of the law. No property may be expropriated except for reasons of public utility, in the cases established by law and after fair compensation has been paid.

Upon the election of the first parliament on a non-confessional basis, a Senate shall be established in which all the spiritual families shall be represented, and its powers shall be limited to matters of major national importance.

The Chamber of Deputies shall be composed of elected deputies whose number, and manner of election, shall be established by the applicable electoral laws. Until such time as the Chamber of Deputies enacts an electoral law outside the bounds of sectarian representation, the parliamentary seats shall be distributed in accordance with the following rules:

1. 1)Equally between Christians and Muslims.
2. 2)Proportionally among the sects of each of the two communities.
3. 3)Proportionally among the geographic regions.
4. 4)Exceptionally, and for one time only, to be filled by appointment in a single batch by a two-thirds majority by the National Reconciliation Government: the vacant parliamentary seats as of the date of publication of this law, and the seats to be created in the electoral law in application of equal representation between Christians and Muslims, in accordance with the National Reconciliation Document; the electoral law shall specify the details of the application of this Article.

If the Chamber of Deputies is dissolved, the decision of dissolution must include a call to hold new elections, which shall be conducted in accordance with Article 24 and concluded within a period not exceeding three months.

Beirut is the seat of the Government and the Chamber of Deputies.

A member of the Chamber of Deputies represents the whole nation, and no mandate may be imposed on him by any conditions or restrictions from his electors.

It is permissible to combine parliamentary membership with the ministerial function. Ministers may be chosen from among members of the Chamber, or from outside, or from both.

The circumstances entailing the loss of parliamentary eligibility shall be determined by law.

Deputies alone shall have the right to rule on the validity of their mandates, and no election may be invalidated except by a two-thirds majority of all members. This Article shall be abolished as soon as the Constitutional Council is established by virtue of the law relating to its implementation.

Any meeting held by the Chamber outside the legal dates shall be null and void and contrary to law.

The Chamber of Deputies shall hold two ordinary sessions each year. The first session shall open on the Tuesday following the fifteenth of March and shall continue until the end of May. The second session shall open on the Tuesday following the fifteenth of October; this session shall be devoted primarily to examining and voting on the budget before any other business, and shall last until the end of the year.

The opening and closing of ordinary sessions shall take place on the dates specified in Article 32. The President of the Republic may, in agreement with the Prime Minister, convoke the Chamber of Deputies to an extraordinary session by decree specifying its opening, closing and agenda. The President of the Republic must convoke the Chamber to an extraordinary session if an absolute majority of all its members so requests.

A session of the Chamber shall not be valid unless attended by a majority of the members constituting it. Decisions shall be taken by a majority of votes. In the event of a tie, the bill under discussion shall fall.

Sessions of the Chamber shall be public, provided that it may meet in a secret session upon the request of the Government or of five of its members, and that it may decide to reconvene in public session on the same subject.

Votes shall be cast by oral vote or by rising and remaining seated, except in the case of an election, where they shall be cast by secret ballot. In matters relating to laws in general or to a vote of confidence, votes shall always be cast by roll-call, each member stating his vote aloud.

The right to raise a motion of no confidence is absolute for every deputy during ordinary and extraordinary sessions. No discussion of such a motion shall take place nor may it be voted upon until five days have elapsed from its deposit with the bureau of the Chamber and the notification of the ministers concerned.

Any bill which has not obtained the approval of the Chamber may not be submitted again for discussion during the same session.

No criminal prosecution may be directed against any member of the Chamber on account of opinions and ideas he expresses during his term of office.

During parliamentary sessions, no criminal proceedings may be taken against a member of the Chamber, nor may he be arrested, if he has committed a criminal offence, except with the authorisation of the Chamber, save in cases of flagrante delicto.

If a seat in the Chamber becomes vacant, a by-election must be held within two months, and the new member's term shall not exceed the remainder of the outgoing member's term. If the seat becomes vacant less than six months before the end of the term for which the member was elected, no by-election shall be held.

General elections to renew the Chamber shall be held during the sixty days preceding the end of the parliamentary term.

The Chamber may draw up its own internal regulations.

Whenever the Chamber is newly elected, its first session shall be presided over by the oldest member, and the two youngest members shall serve as secretaries. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker shall each be elected separately for the full term of the Chamber by secret ballot and by an absolute majority of votes cast. In a third round of voting, if necessary, a relative majority shall suffice; in the event of a tie, the oldest member shall be deemed elected. At each renewal of the Chamber, and at the opening of the October session every year, the Chamber shall elect two secretaries by secret ballot in accordance with the majority prescribed in the first paragraph of this Article. For one time only, after two years have elapsed since the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, the Chamber may, at any session it holds, withdraw confidence from the Speaker or Deputy Speaker by a two-thirds majority of all its members, based on a petition signed by at least ten deputies. In such a case, the Chamber must immediately hold a session to fill the vacant position.

Members of the Chamber may not vote unless they are present at the session, and voting by proxy is not permitted.

The Chamber alone, through its Speaker, shall have the right to maintain order within it.

Petitions to the Chamber may only be submitted in writing, and no petition may be presented orally or in person.

The allowances received by members of the Chamber shall be fixed by law.