As reported, a new parliament was elected on Sunday in crisis-ravaged Lebanon. Now the preliminary final result is here. Shia Hezbollah and its allies have lost their majority. Representatives of the opposition protest movement, on the other hand, won 13 seats.
Other Hezbollah opponents, such as former Christian militia commander Samir Geagea, also stood up. They want to break the party’s monopoly of power, which has ruled the Mediterranean country for decades. According to the provisional final result of Tuesday, this will only have 62 of the 128 MPs in the future. In the elections five years ago, Hezbollah had 71 MPs.
setback, but little change
The result was a “setback” for Hezbollah, Lebanese analyst Sami Nader said. However, he does not expect “dramatic changes”. Hezbollah and its allies can continue to block decisions and work towards an “Iranian agenda”. Hezbollah is closely linked to Iran and bases its power on, among other things, its own militia, with which it controls entire areas, including the border with its arch-enemy Israel.
Denominations play a role in Lebanon’s political system, among other things. The head of state is always a Christian, the head of government a Sunni and the speaker of parliament a Shia. Other important functions are also assigned according to confessional proportional representation. Observers said there were voting irregularities in last Sunday’s election. The EU delegation spoke of bought votes. Moreover, the secrecy of the vote was not always observed.
hard to form a government
Forming a new government will be difficult. Observers warn that Hezbollah could use force to achieve its goals. That was the case before.
Lebanon is currently suffering the worst economic crisis in its history. According to the UN, three quarters of the approximately 6.8 million inhabitants live below the poverty line. The coin has lost more than 90 percent of its value. The country can no longer repay its debts.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
