"The Cedar Revolution"

Parliamentary Representation in Lebanon

As one can observe below Hizballah and its allies control 35 seats in the Lebanese Parliament.

"Summary of the 29 May-20 June 2005 Lebanese National Assembly election results

Alliances	Seats	Parties	Votes	%	Seats
Rafik Hariri Martyr List	72	Current for the Future (Tayyar Al Mustaqbal)		.	36
		Progressive Socialist Party (Hizb al-Taqadummi al-Ishtiraki)		.	16
		Lebanese Forces		.	5
		Qornet Shehwan Gathering Phalangist or Kataeb Party (Hizb al-Kataeb) National Liberal Party (Hizb el-wataniyin el-ahrar) independents		.	6
		Tripoli Bloc		.	3
		Democratic Renewal		.	1
		Democratic Left		.	1
		Independents		.	4
Resistance and Development Bloc	35	Hope Movement or Amal Movement (Harakat Amal)		.	15
		Party of God (Hezbollah)		.	14
		Syrian Social Nationalist Party (al-Hizb al-Qawmi al-souri al ijtima'i)		.	2
		Others		.	4
Aoun Alliance	21	Free Patriotic Movement (Tayyar Al-Watani Al-Horr)		.	14
		Skaff Bloc		.	5
		Murr Bloc		.	2
Total					128

Main article: Lebanese general election, 2005"

Yesterday a newsreader on CNN asked an interviewee why it was thought advantageous to "have Hizballah in the Lebanese cabinet."  I have been thinking about that and I leave it up to you to look at this chart and make your own conclusion..."  PL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Lebanon

The first eight groups controlling 72 seats in the parliament are the Cedar Revolution" people whom the US is backing.  Siniora is the PM as representing that group.  It is a mixture of Christians, Druze and Sunni Muslims.

The next six are "the opposition."  The Shia are united here behind Hizbullah and Amal, but the Maronite Christian party of Michel Aoun is also present as are a couple of other mainly Christian groups and the "crazies" of the SSNP.

The "opposition's" position is that the political system is rigged to prevent proportional representation of the Shia.

Pat Lang