The "International Information" institution pointed out that one of the first tasks of the new parliament as it begins its term on May 22 is to elect a new president of the parliament.
**Election Method:** According to Article 44 of the Lebanese Constitution, "Each time the council determines its election, it convenes under the chairmanship of the oldest member and the two youngest members among them act as secretaries. The president and vice president are elected for the term of the council, each by secret ballot and by an absolute majority of votes cast. The result is ratified in a third vote by a relative majority; if there is a tie, the oldest member is considered elected..." This means that the required quorum for the election session is 65 deputies, who must achieve an absolute majority to win; otherwise, a second and third round will be held, with the relative majority deciding the winner.
**Election Date:** The date for the election session is determined by Article 2 of the internal regulations of the Parliament, which states: "The Parliament convenes at the invitation of the oldest member, under his presidency, to elect the Bureau of the Council at the first session held after its renewal within a maximum period of 15 days from the commencement of the term." The oldest member in this election is the same as the nominee for the presidency, Nabih Berri (born January 28, 1938), which is the first time the oldest member is also a candidate for the presidency.
It is almost certain that Nabih Berri will be the president of the council, as the custom dictates that the council president comes from the Shiite sect and there is no competitor for him. However, the suggestion from some change advocates among the new deputies that the candidate for this position should not be sectarian raises the question of what seat this deputy won. Wasn't his seat based on a specific sect? Will presidential positions rotate among the sects? And is this the right time to raise very important issues that require a foundational conference for a new Lebanon, without considering the financial, economic, and social disasters that necessitate immediate emergency solutions?
The question remains about how many votes he will receive compared to previous elections, as he secured the highest number of votes in the 2000 elections at 124 votes, which decreased to 98 votes in the last elections in 2018.
