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1957 Lebanese general election

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1957 Lebanese general election

← 1953
9–23 June 1957
1960 →
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/–
National Bloc Raymond Eddé 5 +2
Constitutional Union 3 0
Kataeb Pierre Gemayel 2 +1
PSP Kamal Jumblatt 2 +1
ARF 2 +1
SSNP 1 New
Independents – 51 +16
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Prime Minister before Prime Minister after
Sami as-Solh
Unaffiliated
Sami as-Solh
Unaffiliated

General elections were held in Lebanon between 9 and 23 June 1957.[1] Independent candidates, nearly all pro-president, won the majority of seats. Voter turnout was 53.2%.[2]

With the support of Lebanese President Camille Chamoun CIA money was used to support selected candidates.[3] CIA operative Wilbur Crane Eveland wrote that he would regularly drive to the Chamoun's presidential residence with "a briefcase full of Lebanese pounds" to be spent on the elections. American oil companies doing business in Lebanon also contributed funding.[4]

Apportionment of seats over districts and communities

[edit]
tot.MaGOGCAOACMiSuShDrsubdivision
tot. 66207431114124
Beirut-1 511121: Ashrafieh, Rumayl, Sayfi, Musaytiba, Mazra
Beirut-2 6111212: Bachoura, Zkak El Blat, Mdawar, Port, Mina El Hosson, Dar Mreiseh, Ras Beirut
Zahleh 41111
Baalbek - Hermel 413
Rashaya - West Bekaa 211
Jbeil 11
Keserwan 33
North Metn 321
Bourj Hammoud (Metn) 11
Baabda 4211
Aley-Damour (Chouf-3) 3111
Deir El Kamar - Cheheem (Chouf-2) 211
Baaklyn - Joun (Chouf-1) 3111
Akkar 4112
Dennieh 11
Tripoli City 413
Zghorta 22
Koura 11
Bsharrey 11
Batroun 11
Jezzine 321
Saida (city) 11
Zahrani (Saida villages) 11
Nabatieh 22
Tyre 22
Bint Jbeil 11
Marjeyoun - Hasbaya 11

Results

[edit]
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
National Bloc5+2
Party of the Constitutional Union30
Kataeb Party2+1
Progressive Socialist Party2+1
Armenian Revolutionary Federation2+1
Syrian Social Nationalist Party1New
Independents51+16
Total66+22
Total votes446,178–
Registered voters/turnout838,08953.24
Source: Nohlen et al.

Electoral districts

[edit]

Bint Jbeil

[edit]

There was a reform of the seat distribution of parliamentary constituencies in 1957, but Bint Jbeil remained a single-member constituency. Instead the neighbouring electoral district of Nabatieh was awarded an additional Shia seat. Ahmad al-As'ad argued that this move had been done deliberately to curtail his political influence.[5] The Bint Jbeil seat was won by Ali Bazzi in the parliamentary election.[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I, p183 ISBN 0-19-924958-X
  2. ↑ Nohlen et al., p184
  3. ↑ Marshall, Jonathan (2012). The Lebanese Connection Corruption, Civil War, and the International Drug Traffic. Stanford University Press. p. 8.
  4. ↑ Broder, John M. (31 March 1997). "Foreign Taint on National Election? A Boomerang for U.S." The New York Times. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  5. ↑ Gersten Professor of Political Science Jacob M Landau; Jacob M. Landau (19 December 2013). Middle Eastern Themes: Papers in History and Politics. Routledge. p. 260. ISBN 978-1-135-15977-1.
  6. ↑ The International Who's who of the Arab World. International Who's Who of the Arab World Ltd. 1984. p. 104. ISBN 9780950612218.