ABSTRACT
The constitution of 1926, the "National Pact" of 1943, and the electoral law of 1952 established the founding principles of Lebanon's political system, with its ideas of pluralism and fixed communal representation. The Constitution stipulated that the President had to be a Christian and the Prime Minister a Muslim. The Maronites blame their misfortunes on the lack of unity in their leadership. In 1975, Bashir Gemayel established the Lebanese Front and the Lebanese Forces, prepared to fight, while President Franjieh was ready to compromise on the basis of a 1:1 Christian-Muslim ratio of parliamentary representation. The loyalty of the Muslim community during the civil war was split among Arabism, the Lebanese state, the various sects, and the intra-sectarian factions. Arabism was a common objective of Damascus and the mostly Muslim Lebanese National Movement, but it was overshadowed by the struggle for influence in the political system.
