A Lebanese MP who lived in parliament for more than two years has returned home

Lebanese parliament member Melhem Khalaf, who lived in the parliament building due to the sit-in in protest against the absence of the president in the country, packed his bags and returned to his home after the election of Joseph Aoun as president. Melhem Khalaf lived in the parliament building in Beirut for 721 days.

Melhem Khalaf is a 63-year-old MP from the Movement for Change bloc, a lawyer by profession, and a well-known human rights activist in the country. Khalaf is an Orthodox Christian who lives in Beirut and is a former head of the Beirut Bar Association.

Lebanon has been without a president since October 31, 2022, following the end of Michel Aoun’s term, and on January 19, 2023, two Lebanese MPs, Melhem Khalaf and Najat Saliba, began a protest against the delay in presidential elections. Saliba ended her protest after eight months; Khalaf held out until the end.