Lebanese opposition makes unexpected gains
BEIRUT: Lebanese opposition groups made some unexpected gains in parliamentary elections in crisis-ridden Lebanon, against major political groups they blame for plunging Lebanon into its worst-ever economic crisis, according to preliminary unofficial results on Monday.
The early results from Sunday’s elections also showed that the Hizbullah movement has lost major allies in Mount Lebanon and south and north Lebanon, to members of some opposition groups,which could lead the movement to lose its majority in the 128-member parliament.
According to the preliminary results quoted by Lebanese media, the opposition managed to snatch around 10 seats.
In the 2018 elections Hizbullah and its allies, among them the Christian Free Patriotic Movement, won a majority of 71 seats in parliament. Many of the opposition candidates emerged from mass, anti-government protests that erupted in 2019. They were directed, among other things, against widespread corruption in Lebanon. Many people blame the established parties, which have been in power for decades, for the country’s severe crisis.
Gains were also reported by Hizbullah’s staunch critics, the Christian Lebanese Forces, who said that they are now the largest Christian bloc in parliament, with more than 20 seats.
Such a gain dealt a blow to Hizbullah ally the Free Patriotic Movement, who lost their title as being the largest Christian bloc in parliament. In 2018 the group, led by the son-in-law of President Michel Aoun, had 18 seats. Now they are at 16.
For more than two years, Lebanon has been suffering from the worst economic and financial crisis in its history. According to the UN, around three-quarters of the people in Lebanon now live below the poverty line.
Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said in a news conference on Sunday that voter turnout in the elections was 41 per cent, down from 49 per cent in the 2018 elections. —