Monday, May 30, 2005
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Atul Aneja
Hind Hariri (left), daughter of Lebanon's slain leader Rafik Hariri, is accompanied by her mother Nazek, as she casts her vote in Beirut on Sunday. — PHOTO: AP
MANAMA: Voter turnout was low in the first phase of Lebanon's parliamentary elections whose results are likely to reflect the relative strength of the country's ethnic and religious groups. "According to the statistics I have received, turnout was somewhat low. It was about 12 per cent at 11 a.m." [local time], or four hours after the polls opened, Prime Minister Nagib Miqati told a press conference. Voting took place in Lebanon's capital Beirut, but other areas will be covered in three additional phases. A poor turnout threatens to undermine the legitimacy of the polls. The elections follow the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February. His death had triggered a wave of protests, seeking the departure of Syrian troops from the country. Hariri's son Saad, riding on a wave of sympathy following his father's killing, is excepted to do well, especially in the Beirut area, where 19 seats of the 128-member Parliament are being contested. Voting in the south will take place on June 5, where the Shias organised under the Amal-Hizbollah alliance are the dominant force. Nearly 30 per of the Lebanese are Christians. Analysts point out that contests in the northern and central areas are expected to be tight where the Christians are in force but have been unable to come together on a single political platform. A 100-member team from the European Union is monitoring the polls.
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