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Lebanon has long held contested elections that have led to the defeat of ruling parties. The long-time existence of Lebanese democracy seems to be frequently overlooked, particularly by defenders of Israeli policies ("but it's the only democracy in the Middle East!").
And yes, the "confessional system" in Lebanon has undemocratic elements, but given the deep divisions between groups, distributing power in this way (guaranteeing some power to Christians and Muslims alike) may be the best achievable system.
