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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Lebanon votes in first polls of post-Syria era |
| 2005-05-29 |
| BEIRUT - Lebanon's first general elections free of Syrian presence in three decades kick off in Beirut on Sunday, with the anti-Damascus opposition set to win a majority of seats in the new parliament. Nineteen seats are in theory up for grabs in the capital, but nine candidates on the lists of the murdered ex-premier Rafiq Hariri's son Saad have already been elected by default after rival candidates failed to appear or dropped out. Saad's lists are widely expected to win all 10 other seats in Beirut and experts believe that this situation will keep turnout in Beirut lower than in the last legislative elections in 2000, which stood at 33.8 percent. The vote marks only the start of four-stage nationwide polls, which will see different regions voting on every Sunday until the end of June. Many of Syria's once-powerful allies have thrown in the towel and the opposition is widely expected to win the lion's share of seats in parliament. Throughout the country, a total of 17 candidates have been automatically elected by default, including prominent opposition leader Druze MP Walid Jumblatt and close ally MP Marwan Hamadeh. Lebanon has some three million voters, 59 percent Muslim and 41 percent Christian, who will be contesting 128 parliamentary seats to be shared equally by the Christian and Muslim communities. Parliament is elected for four years. |
| Posted by:Steve White |