Parliament session outcome: Hezbollah sidesteps confidence vote with walkout

Report by Bassam Abou Zeid, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

The Lebanese government came under political pressure from Hezbollah during a parliamentary session to grant the government confidence, even as the party remains represented in the Cabinet by two ministers.

When Parliament moved to vote on confidence in the government, Hezbollah lawmakers from the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc left the chamber before the vote.

The move reflected a position Hezbollah chose during the confidence session: neither voting "yes" for a government whose policies it strongly criticizes nor voting "no" against a government in which it participates. The alternative was to withdraw from the session.

Hezbollah has raised its objections to the government, particularly over key political issues such as direct negotiations with Israel, the framework agreement and the military situation in South Lebanon. At the same time, the party remains represented in the government.

When the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) opened the discussion for a confidence vote, lawmakers were required to take a clear position: confidence or no confidence.

A vote of confidence by Hezbollah lawmakers could have raised questions over their support for a government whose choices they have criticized so strongly. A vote of no confidence, meanwhile, could have raised questions over why the party continues to participate in the Cabinet.

The Loyalty to the Resistance bloc therefore chose a third option and left the chamber before the vote.

However, the walkout did not end the political debate and instead shifted it into Hezbollah’s own support base.

Journalist Abdallah Kamh wrote on X that by leaving the chamber rather than voting against the government, Hezbollah MPs had effectively allowed the government to receive confidence despite its plans to indirectly disarm the group. He described their decision as an attempt to avoid voting "no confidence."

Meanwhile, the Amal Movement chose to participate in the vote and backed the government. MP Kabalan Kabalan said, “Unfortunately, confidence.”

The government ultimately received 68 votes of confidence, while 12 MPs voted against and two abstained.

Hezbollah lawmakers chose not to have their votes counted among those figures.

The government therefore emerged from the session with parliamentary confidence, while Hezbollah’s lawmakers had left before the vote, leaving questions over the political significance of their decision.