Lebanon’s interior minister Bassam Mawlawi announced on Monday (May 16) most of the official results for the parliamentary election, the first since the economic meltdown and a huge port explosion rocked the capital.
Mawlawi announced the winning candidates in 12 out of 15 electoral districts and the remaining results are expected on Tuesday (May 17).
Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah and its allies are likely to lose their majority in Lebanon’s parliament following Sunday’s election, three sources allied to the group said on Monday, in a major blow to the heavily armed faction that reflects anger with ruling parties.
Among the notable losses is top Hezbollah ally and deputy parliament speaker Elie Ferzli, 72, who lost the Christian Orthodox seat in West Beqaa, according to official results.
Ferzli lost to a candidate backed by established Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, but Jumblatt’s list also lost a Sunni seat to independent candidate Yassin Yassin.
“After two-and-a-half years of directly facing off in the streets against a government of injustice, finally, we’ve begun the journey to change in Lebanon. This is a national celebration!” Yassin told Reuters.
Sunday’s election also produced wins for the Saudi-aligned Lebanese Forces (LF) Christian party and reform-minded newcomer candidates across sects.
Their breakthroughs, however, could fracture parliament into several camps and polarise it more sharply between Hezbollah’s allies and opponents, the latter of which are not currently united into a single bloc.
The deadlock could derail reforms required to unlock support from the International Monetary Fund to ease Lebanon’s economic crisis and delay key parliamentary decisions on a speaker, a premier to form a cabinet, and a new president later this year.
The next parliament must elect a speaker, nominate a prime minister to form a cabinet, then elect a president to replace Aoun, whose term ends on Oct. 31.
