http://www.dailystar.com.lb/rss/reg/specialreports.xml Special reports articles covering the Middle East region Copyright 2009 The Daily Star en-us Saturday, November 21, 2009 http://www.dailystar.com.lb/images/editions/regional.gif http://www.dailystar.com.lb http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=15&article_id=21428 Lebanon is arguably the most democratic Arab state. It also has one of the most complex political systems in the Middle East, based on the premise that a careful balance in all aspects of political life must be maintained among the 18 recognized religious communities. Xinhua News Agency Saturday, January 14, 2006 http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=15&article_id=21428