A trend has gained ground in Lebanese politics that has serious consequences on the political life in the country. It is addressing key issues outside the constitutional institutions.

The trend began with the Syrian occupation and it accelerated in the era of Hezbollah. Elections, appointments to even mid-level public posts, fiscal policy as well as foreign policy issues are "precooked" outside the institutions.

A recent example to this state of affairs is the "presidential deal" of 2016. The deal sealed an alliance between General Michel Aoun and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. The most serious fallout of that deal involve the nomination of prime minister.

President Aoun, supported by Hezbollah, delays the nomination of a prime minister until key issues that are to be addressed by the coming cabinet are resolved in advance. A prime minister is thus nominated, not according to a parliamentary majority, as the constitution demands, but pending the candidate's commitment to the Aoun-Hezbollah agenda. This was done in the nominations of the previous two prime ministers, Saad Hariri and Hassan Diab.