A voter casting a ballot during the municipal elections in Mount Lebanon, on May 4, 2025. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
Naameh and Haret al-Naameh could soon have their own separate municipal council. Although the two neighboring Chouf villages, the first predominantly Christian and the second Sunni, have been locally governed by a shared municipal council since 1998, the State Shura Council ruled in favor of separating them in 2016.Ten years later, after three successive extensions of the municipal council’s mandates, conditions now appear to be in place to implement the decision. The move could revive similar demands raised in other areas, particularly in Beirut, where the municipal council has faced growing criticism.In 2009, residents of Naameh brought the issue of separation to the forefront. “We revived this matter for logistical reasons, because a single municipality has become unable to meet residents’ needs,” said a Naameh resident who requested...
Naameh and Haret al-Naameh could soon have their own separate municipal council. Although the two neighboring Chouf villages, the first predominantly Christian and the second Sunni, have been locally governed by a shared municipal council since 1998, the State Shura Council ruled in favor of separating them in 2016.Ten years later, after three successive extensions of the municipal council’s mandates, conditions now appear to be in place to implement the decision. The move could revive similar demands raised in other areas, particularly in Beirut, where the municipal council has faced growing criticism.In 2009, residents of Naameh brought the issue of separation to the forefront. “We revived this matter for logistical reasons, because a single municipality has become unable to meet residents’ needs,” said a Naameh resident who...
