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TAIF ACCORDS

Key takeaways

content: "@TAIFACCORDS1989" -file:@TAIFACCORDS1989

Reading notes

General Principals

• Lebanon is sovereign
• Lebanon is Arab and part of the Arab league
• Lebanon is a democratic parliamentary republic
• People are the source of authority
• Economic system is free that guarantees private ownership
• Efforts to achieve social justice will be made
• Lebanon's soil is untied and it belongs to the Lebanese, there shall be no fragmentation, partition, or repatriation of Palestinians in Lebanon
• No authority violating the common co-existence charter shall be legitimate

Political Reforms

• Chamber of deputies is the legislative authority with full control over government policy and activities

• Until the chamber of deputies passes an election law free of sectarian restriction, the parliamentary seats shall be divided according to the following bases:

• Equally between Christians and Muslims

• Proportionally between denominations of each sect

• Proportionally between districts

• A senate shall be formed and all the spiritual families shall be represented in it- their powers will be confined to crucial issues

• The president of the republic is head of state and will contribute to enhancing the constitution and to preserving Lebanon's independence

• Supreme commander of armed forces which are subject to the power of the cabinet

• Head the cabinet

• Head the supreme defence council

• Issues decrees and demand their publication and can also ask cabinet to reconsider any resolution it makes within 15 days of the date of deposition- if the cabinet insists then the resolution passes

• Name the PM in consultation with chamber of deputies speaker

• Form the cabinet in agreement with the PM

• Appoint ambassadors

• Negotiate the conclusion of international treaties

• Present any urgent issue to the cabinet

• Grant special pardon

• President shall not eb liable unless he violates high treason

• The PM is head of government and shall exercise the following powers

• Head cabinet

• Present general policy to the chamber of deputies

• Sign all decrees

• Act as supreme defence councils deputy chairman

• Cabinet

• Executive power vested in the cabinet

• Set general policy of state

• Implement laws

• Controls the armed forces

• Right to dissolve the chamber of deputies at the request of the president

• Abolishing political sectarianism is a fundamental national objective

Other Reforms

• Administrative decentralism

• The state shall eb a single and united state with a strong central authority

• Powers of governors shall eb expanded

• The administrative division shall be recognised in a manner that emphasises national fusion

• Courts

• Higher council shall be formed

• Constitutional council shall be created to interpret the constitution

• State of Lebanon

• Disbanding all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias with arms giving over to the state

• Right of every Lebanese evicted since 1975 to return shall be established

Lebanon and Israel

• Implement resolution 425 eliminating Israeli occupation
• Adherence to the truce concluded on 23 March 1949
• Taking steps to liberate all Lebanese territories to spread state sovereignty

This agreement, which ended the civil war in Lebanon, was negotiated in Ta'if, Saudi Arabia, in September 1989 and approved by the Lebanese parliament on 4 November 1989.