Assessing the Impact of Lebanon's June 7th Parliamentary Elections

On June 7^th, Lebanon held its long-anticipated parliamentary elections, a critical next step in Lebanon's post-civil war transition. While many observers underscore the potential repercussions of a Hezbollah-dominated March 8^th bloc win, the margin of victory will be slim regardless of which side wins. Certainly, the election resonated beyond Lebanon's borders with implications for key regional players including Iran, Syria, Israel, and Saudi Arabia as well as the United States. At the same time, Lebanon's election held tremendous importance domestically by offering the opportunity to place the country squarely on a positive trajectory toward greater reform and reconciliation.

To assess the impact of Lebanon's parliamentary election, USIP welcomed a distinguished panel of speakers, a number of whom participated in the election observation mission sponsored by the National Democratic Institute.

Speakers

• Graeme Bannerman
  Adjunct Scholar, Middle East Institute
• Steven Heydemann
  Grant and Fellowships Program and Special Advisor, Muslim World Initiative, U.S. Institute of Peace
• Randa Slim
  Jennings Randolph Guest Scholar, U.S. Institute of Peace
• Mona Yacoubian, Discussant/Moderator
  Director of the Lebanon Working Group and Special Advisor, Muslim World Initiative, U.S. Institute of Peace

Archived Audio

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