Voice of America
June 7 2009

Lebanese Vote to Elect New Parliament

By Edward Yeranian
Cairo, Egypt
07 June 2009

Voter turnout is being described as "heavy" across much of Lebanon as
citizens turn out to vote for a new parliament. Local television
stations are reporting few incidents of violence in a country marred
by a history of sectarian conflict.

Voters lined up outside polling stations across Lebanon, from Chekka
in the north to Marjayoun in the south. Local television stations
spent the day reporting voter turnout percentages from each electoral
district and by most accounts, turnout was unusually high.

Lebanese police kept vigil outside of polling places, as young people
from various parties waved flags, donned party tee-shirts and urged
voters to vote for one side or the other.

Inside polling stations, voters marked their paper ballots behind
closed curtains, before dropping them into an opaque plastic
box. Civil servants overseeing the election then daubed voters’ thumbs
with indelible ink to prevent anyone from voting twice.

The outcome of the electoral battle between the ruling pro-Western
March 14th movement and the pro-Syrian Hezbollah appears to hinge on
voter sentiment in mostly Christian districts north of Beirut.

An unusual alliance between former Army Commander Michel Aoun, the
pro-Syrian Hezbollah and a powerful Armenian faction could tip the
balance in favor of Hezbollah.

Aoun quipped to journalists in his usual feisty tone that he thought
the election would "put an stop to four years of political quarrels"
and end what he called the "odd state of affairs in the country."

Hezbollah’s Manar TV played a patriotic jingle to urge voters to side
with what it calls the "resistance," in reference to its steadfast
military opposition to Israel.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, told reporters the
election is a referendum of support for Hezbollah and its political
strategy.

He says that today’s vote is a referendum to support the
(Hezbollah-led) resistance, and its political views, in addition to
supporting national unity and liberation of Lebanese territory.

The head of Lebanon’s pro-Western March 14th parliamentary majority,
Saad Hariri, son of slain former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, urged
everyone to vote.

He calls on God to protect Lebanon’s democracy and to make it
thrive. All Lebanese, he says, should vote for whom they please,
because (democracy) is not something many other peoples around the
world enjoy.

Dory Chamoun, who heads Lebanon’s National Liberal Party, an ally of
Hariri, says that the election appears trouble-free and that he thinks
the Pro-Western alliance has a slight edge.

"Generally speaking, it is going on quite well," Chamoun said. " I
have not heard of any major trouble, which is already a very good
sign. On the whole, the percentage of voters is very high, nearly all
over Lebanon, something that we have not seen for a very long
time. But, the atmosphere is good, and as far as we are concerned, I
think we will have a slight edge."

Results of Sunday’s parliamentary election, the first since 2005, will
not be officially published until Monday. Many analysts are expecting
a close vote that will result in some form of coalition government.

President Michael Suleiman, who is expected to win the support of
unaffiliated members of parliament could tip the balance in favor of
one side or the other. After casting his ballot,
Mr. Suleiman urged politicians to "tone down their political
squabbles" and help to "improve the state of the country."