Hezbollah victory likely in Lebanon

Beirut, May 7: Hezbollah was poised to seal its dominance of Lebanon today with results for the country's first general election this decade expected to confirm the Iran- backed party as the main winner.

The polls were also marked by a low turnout of 49.2 per cent and the emergence of a civil society movement challenging Lebanon's oligarchs was set to clinch a pair of seats in parliament.

The number of Hezbollah MPs in the 128seat parliament may not increase but astute preelectoral tactics have secured it enough allies to withstand political challenges on strategic issues.

It will also benefit from the fragmentation of its foes, among them Prime Minister Saad Hariri whose Sunni- dominated Future Movement could go down as the election's biggest loser.

“Hariri's loss will be the distinguishing mark of these elections, which will have consequences on the battle to form a new government,” the pro- Hezbollah Al- Akhbar daily wrote today.

Hezbollah, which was created in the 1980s to fight against Israel and currently battles in Syria alongside regime forces, is listed as a terror organisation by the United States.

The powerful Shiite group is a key political player in Lebanon where it has allied with the Christian party of President Michel Aoun and has participated in Hariri's government since December 2016.

Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk announced the turnout figure at a news conference shortly after midnight and appeared to blame it on the new electoral law agreed last year.