Taif agreement

The Taif Agreement was negotiated in Taif, Saudi Arabia by members of Lebanon's parliament, presided by Speaker of the House President Hussein El-Husseini. The agreement covered political reform, the ending of the war in Lebanon, the establishment of special relations between Lebanon and Syria, and a framework for the beginning of complete Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon. It was signed on October 22, 1989.

Related Topics:
Taif - Saudi Arabia - Lebanon - Hussein El-Husseini - Syria - October 22 - 1989

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The agreement restructured the political system in Lebanon by transferring power away from the Maronite Christian minority, which had been given a privileged status in Lebanon under French colonial rule. Prior to Taif, the Sunni Prime Minister was appointed by and responsible to the Maronite President. After Taif the Prime Minister was responsible to the legislature, as in a traditional parliamentary system.

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The accords established a cabinet divided equally between Christians and Muslims. The Taif Agreement also reinforced Syria's direct role in Lebanese affairs. Syrian troops, which had occupied the country for 29 years, withdrew from Lebanon April 28,2005.

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On March 8, 2005, Hezbollah, which maintains an armed force of 20,000 men and has had backing from Syria and Iran, staged a massive rally in Beirut drawing hundreds of thousands of people. Organizers attacked UN Resolution 1559, which mandated withdrawal of foreign troops from Lebanon and the disbanding of domestic militias. Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, insisted "The troop withdrawal must happen according to the mechanism of the Taif Accords."

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