The political crisis in Lebanon during the past three years has remained one of the critical issues in the regional and international scenes. This article attempts to examine the short-term and long-term causes of the political crisis in Lebanon. It proposes that demographic changes in favor of the Shias, increased power of Hezbollah, the multi-ethnic structure of Lebanese society, the type of government and allocation of political power are amongst the long-term causes. The 1559 and 1701 UN resolutions, the 33-day war between Israel and Hezbollah, and the assassination of Rafiq Harii are the contributing elements in the short-term. The paper suggests that the increased power and clout by Hezbollah is a critical factor that needs to be addressed if any long-term solution to the Lebanese crisis is to be found.
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