Assad Is Gone, Nobody Told Elie Ferezly… A Political Comeback Through the Beqaa By-Election

Lebanon’s Interior Ministry is preparing a parliamentary by-election in West Bekaa–Rashaya to fill the Orthodox seat left vacant by Ghassan Skaff’s death in December 2025, amid talk of a possible comeback by Elie Ferzli, a prominent figure associated with Syria’s tutelage over Lebanon.

The preparations follow Parliament’s decision to extend its term by two years, until May 2028, citing war and security concerns. The seat became vacant during the final six months of the original term, when the Constitution exempts vacancies from by-elections. The extension has reopened the issue under Article 41, which requires a replacement to be elected within two months.

Ferzli, a former deputy speaker, has expressed readiness to run, with reported backing from Nabih Berri, the Amal Movement and MP Hassan Murad. The majoritarian voting system could help him reclaim the seat he lost in 2022.

The vote raises fresh questions about the grounds for postponing the general election and could bring back a figure closely tied to decades of Syrian influence over Lebanese politics.