Lebanese take their fight with a century-old political order to the ballot box

On Sunday, Lebanese citizens will vote for a new parliament for the first time since an October 2019 uprising demanded the fall of a century-old political order. The path to political change has been rife with challenges, and whether this year’s election will deliver a new political makeup is far from certain.

Change in Beirut’s political order could mark a first step in extricating the country from its hodgepodge of proxy conflicts, and produce a ripple effect in a region where protest movements have so far failed to effect political change.

An overwhelming desire for change in Lebanon, and in the region at large, is undeniable. Whether that translates into a political shift is another question — one which the election results could help clarify.