07 May 2018 | 07:17 PM UTC
Lebanon: Hezbollah gains seats in parliamentary elections May 6 /update 2
Hezbollah gains seats in Lebanese parliamentary elections May 6, according to preliminary results announced May 7; demonstrations possible in Beirut and other cities in the coming days
Event
According to preliminary results announced on Monday, May 7, the Hezbollah party reportedly garnered at least 47 seats in the Lebanese parliamentary elections held on Sunday, May 6, an increase which will likely provide them with veto power in the 128-seat parliament. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Saad Hariri's Future Movement has reportedly lost at least 12 seats nationwide, including five in Beirut alone, securing only 21 seats compared to the 33 won in the 2009 parliamentary elections.
Voter turnout on Sunday was reportedly around 49 percent, a decrease from the 54 percent turnout in the 2009 elections; some have blamed the low turnout on complex new voting laws. Despite his party's losses in the election, Hariri, as the Sunni politician with the biggest vote share, is nonetheless expected to form the next government - likely a unity government that includes Hezbollah. Political demonstrations are possible in Beirut and other Lebanese cities in the coming hours and days; a heightened security presence and localized traffic disruptions are expected near demonstrations.
Context
Lebanon last held parliamentary elections in June 2009. Security threats from the neighboring Syrian Civil War, sectarian tensions due to Lebanon's confessional political system, and disputes over voting law continuously delayed the elections from their original scheduled date in 2013 to May 6.
Incidents of political violence were recorded in the lead-up to the elections; notably, on April 22, Ali al-Amin, a journalist critical of Hezbollah who was running for a Shi'a seat in the parliamentary vote, claimed that he had been assaulted by over 30 Hezbollah supporters in Chaqra (Bint Jbeil district) while he was hanging up election posters.
Advice
Individuals in Lebanon are advised to monitor developments to the situation, report all suspicious objects or behavior, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities. Avoid all protests and demonstrations as a precaution.
