Muslim-Christian parity preserved in Beirut Municipality as list backed by main political parties wins
A list backed by most political parties won all 24 seats of Beirut's municipality on Sunday, maintaining Christian-Muslim parity on the capital’s municipal council.
Political rivals such as Hezbollah and the Lebanese Forces came together to form the list, arguing that such a temporary coalition was necessary to preserve equal Christian-Muslim power-sharing.
The list was also backed by the Amal Movement, the Kataeb Party, the Free Patriotic Movement, al-Ahbash, the Tashnag Party, the Hunchak Party and MP Fouad Makhzoumi.
A rival list was formed by MP Nabil Bader, the Jamaa Islamiya and a figure who was considered close to al-Mustaqbal Movement.
Four other lists were also formed in the capital, including one by the Beirut Madinati civil society group, which won one third of the capital’s votes in the 2016 polls.
Voter turnout reached 21% in Beirut, 44.57% in Zahle, 41.11% in West Bekaa, 37.70% in Rashaya, 34.15% in Hermel and 48.88% in Baalbek.
The Lebanese Forces meanwhile announced its victory in the Zahle municipal polls against a list backed by all the other political forces and families in an electoral battle in which the Free Patriotic Movement gave its supporters the freedom to vote for either list.
LF leader Samir Geagea hailed a “major victory” in the city, saying “Zahle has chosen progress, change, civilization, sovereignty, martyrs and Lebanon.”
A Hezbollah spokesman meanwhile said the party and its ally the Amal Movement won in the city of Baalbek, the city of Hermel and in 19 towns in the Bekaa.
Source: Naharnet
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://prod.naharnet.com/stories/en/312856 |