HEZBOLLAH, ALLIES LOSE MAJORITY IN PARLIAMENT

Voters in Lebanon deprived the Hezbollah militant group and its political allies of a parliamentary majority while electing about a dozen new, independent candidates, according to official results released Tuesday.

The election, held Sunday, was the first opportunity for voters to formally respond to their leaders’ performance since the onset of a grave financial crisis that hollowed out the national currency and sent the economy spiraling.

It is also the first vote since a huge explosion in the port of Beirut in August 2020, widely attributed to mismanagement and corruption, that killed more than 200 people.

The results removed a few members from the old order in the 128-member parliament but fell far short of starting a sweeping overhaul of who exercises power in the small Mediterranean country.

Soon, the body will face the daunting task of appointing a new prime minister and Cabinet to work toward an aid agreement with the International Monetary Fund and try to steer the country out of an economic crisis.

The process of government formation often takes months. Still, the most significant change appeared to be the loss of the parliamentary majority enjoyed by Hezbollah and its allies since the last election in 2018.

Hezbollah, an Iranianbacked militant group and political party that the United States considers a terrorist organization, has won support in Lebanon as an anti-Israel military force whose fighters have intervened in conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Although Hezbollah kept the 13 seats held by its members, some of its allied political parties lost seats, driving the coalition below the 65seat threshold it must meet to ensure a majority.

The fact that no bloc won a solid majority set the stage for gridlock that could prevent parliament from passing legislation necessary to ease the country’s woes. The IMF and international donors have called for significant changes before aid will be given.

New in this election was a range of independent candidates, many of whom emerged from a protest movement that began in autumn of 2019.

The new parliament includes eight women, a record. About a dozen independent candidates won seats, also a record.