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Beirut: Municipal Elections tense in places, calm in others

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  • Beirut: Municipal Elections tense in places, calm in others

    The Daily Star, Lebanon
    May 3 2004

    Elections tense in places, calm in others

    Daily Star staff

    Aley
    Calm reigns in Aley during municipal contest


    Contrary to what was predicted, election day in the qada of Aley was
    extremely calm even in the city of Shoueifat, which had witnessed
    clashes last week.

    With Aley, out of the race because of the uncontested victory of the
    list headed by the city's mayor, Wajdi Mrad, the area remained even
    calmer than others.

    The battle was mostly concentrated in Shoueifat, the second most
    populated town in Aley. Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) and
    Democratic Party flags were hanging from many balconies. But the heavy
    presence of army and Internal Security Forces troops inside and in
    front of the town's three polling stations prevented the recurrence of
    an incident.

    "Political figures should not interfere in municipal elections.
    Municipal polls should remain developmental and internal," said Hala
    Zakaria, one voter from Shoueifat.

    Zakaria, who said she voted for the list headed by Haytham Jurdi and
    backed by the PSP and the Communist Party, said her choice was
    motivated by the names on that list and not by the political parties
    backing it "because ultimately, a municipal council member should place
    the interests of the municipality above that of his party," she said.

    That attitude prevailed in most villages visited by The Daily Star.

    The opposing list, backed by Druze MP Talal Arslan's Democratic Party
    was headed by Walid Souqi.

    On another level, the opposition's participation in Aley was shy.
    Rashmaya was the only town where hard-core opposition parties such as
    the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces were participating
    actively. They backed a list headed by Wajdi Kik, which was contested
    by that of retired army General, Victor Abu Selwan.

    While its neighboring towns of Chartoun and Ain Traz were quiet,
    Rashmaya was swarming with cars and voters, forcing all traffic to stop
    for 50 minutes.

    Campaigners said that at around noon over 700 people out of the 1300
    registered voters had already shown up.

    Bhamdoun Station, right above Aley, was supposed to be another hotspot
    with an opposition list challenging that of the village's Mayor Osta
    Rjeili. But despite a relatively high turnout - 730 people out of 1200
    registered voters - no irregularities or infractions were reported.


    North metn


    Beit Mery's 3-list battle sees high number of voters


    The municipal election in the Metn was heated in towns and villages
    where the opposition groups were active while most areas were calm,
    with candidates securing their early victory.

    >From Dekwaneh to Bteghrin, there were no clashes or any direct
    confrontation between voters or between the competing candidates except
    in Bikfaya where some voters were omitted from voting lists.

    In Beteghrin, Mirna Murr's list was the most popular and the candidate,
    who is supported by her father Metn MP Michel Murr and her brother
    Interior Minister Elias Murr, was very self-confident.

    "There is no opposition in Bteghrin and you can see a high voter
    turnout," Mirna Murr said.

    Interior Minister Elias Murr voted in his hometown at around 11.30
    a.m., while his father, Michel, arrived at around 12.30 p.m. to vote
    for his daughter.

    Murr was carried to the polling station on shoulders while fireworks
    filled the village.

    Dekwaneh, which had two lists, also showed the same level of
    confidence. Mayor Antoine Shakhtoura, who heads the only completed list
    said: "The battle already ended."

    Shakhtoura's list is opposed by an incomplete list supported by the
    Phalange Party opposition faction and the Free Patriotic Movement
    (FPM).

    In Baabdat, the hometown of President Emile Lahoud, the battle was
    quite calm with only one completed list and four individual candidates
    running for the election.

    President Emile Lahoud did not vote Sunday but his son, Metn MP Emile
    Lahoud voted and said he supported the "coalition list."

    Labaki, whose list is supported by Metn MP Nassib Lahoud and Salim
    Salhab, asserted that there is no battle in Baabdat.

    On the other hand, Beit Mery saw lots of voters from the early morning.
    By noon voters had to stand in lines waiting for their turn at the
    polling stations while a majority asserted that they did not endorse
    entire lists.

    The high number of voters in Beit Mery was a result of the heated
    battle between three lists.

    In Mansourieh, two lists were running for the municipal election and
    both expected to win. While the list supported by Joseph Zeidan
    asserted it was backed by the FPM, the Lebanese Forces, the Phalange
    Party opposition section and the National Liberal Party.

    The other list supported by mayor William Khoury, who was said to be
    backed by Michel Murr, also insisted his list included members of the
    opposition groups.


    Jounieh & jbeil


    Jounieh elections tension-charged


    Jounieh witnessed a higher wave of tension in its municipal battle than
    Jbeil. This was mostly due to the power of the "Jounieh's Future" list
    backed by Kesrouan MPs Mansour Bone and George Frem and next to it, the
    "All for Jounieh" list backed by Kesrouan MPs Farid Khazen and Fares
    Boueiz.

    In Kesrouan, five municipalities out of 48 won uncontested.

    A source close to "All for Jounieh" said Frem was bribing voters.
    Joseph Sobeih, a member from the "All for Jounieh" list also said,
    referring to Kesrouan MP George Frem, that any hegemony of any party
    was to be banned.

    Bone, who voted in Ghadir, denied resort to bribery.

    "We called people to vote yesterday. We expect to win," he said. "We
    are not afraid of any breach." But Frem, who voted in Haret Sakhr, said
    Lebanese had the opportunity to work according to their conscience in
    order to choose the best.

    As for MP Farid Khazen, he called the Interior Ministry to have firm
    control to ensure an honest municipal election.

    Meanwhile, Free Patriotic Movement coordinator Roukoz Mehanna said the
    FPM hoped to break into the list.

    "If we do, we would have made a great achievement," Mehanna said. He
    also said many families gave in to bribery which had reached Sarba.

    Jbeil's municipal battle was confined to the authority-backed lists and
    the opposition. The Jbeil elections are also known as the "three
    Generals" battle, (Generals Emile Lahoud, Michel Suleiman and Michel
    Aoun).

    Telecommunictions Minister Jean-Louis Qordahi said around 4,500 voters
    out of 7,879 were to cast their votes, with about 2,100 having voted
    before noon.

    "We should work for Jbeil development without using it for our own
    interests," said Qordahi. "Parties from outside Jbeil are exerting
    pressure on Jbeil. We are concerned with the upcoming years rather than
    the direct results of the current battle."


    Chouf & Iqlim al-Kharroub


    Calm at times, hot at others


    While election day in Chouf and Iqlim al-Kharroub passed peacefully and
    free of heavy-handed electioneering, voters in some towns where
    political or confessional dividing lines run deep headed to the polls
    in an atmosphere as charged as the campaigns which proceeded them.

    According to the heads of several voting stations, by 3 p.m.
    participation rates had reached 50 percent, a healthy midday turnout
    that offered one indication of the significance of the elections for
    many residents.

    In Deir al-Qamar, where townspeople voted in a festive-like atmosphere,
    dancing and chanting in front of campaign offices, two lists vied for
    support: One led by retired General Adonis Neameh and the other an
    opposition list headed by Liberal Party leader Dori Chamoun and
    supported by Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt.

    "We and Jumblatt are in the opposition, while the others are obviously
    on the government side," said Chamoun, adding that two members of the
    Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) were also on the list. "They want to
    serve Beiteddine. They must have a chance to do so," he said, referring
    to the FPM candidates.

    In Baaqleen, where former council member Nuha al-Ghuseini was all but
    certain to be elected the first woman mayor in Lebanon, consensus ruled
    the day as voters went to the polls outside of the town center.

    In Mukhtara and 10 other villages, uncontested lists were immediately
    declared the winners by default. Similarly, in Druze villages with one
    political color, candidates had little to worry about since few
    independent individuals ran in the contests.

    In Iqlim al-Kharroub however, where former Chouf MP Zaher Khatib failed
    to secure an alliance with the Progressive Socialist Party, the race
    was heated between a leftist-Hariri-Jumblatt alliance on the one hand
    and Al-Jamaah al-Islamieh on the other.

    In Ktarmaya and Barja, the dominant families complained that Jamaah had
    manipulated the former council and followed an exclusionary policy in
    regard to all other prominent figures.


    Baabda


    Confusion and alleged irregularities


    As more than 139,000 voters in 70 separate districts of the qada of
    Baabda went to the polls Sunday, several parties reported sporadic
    election irregularities that added to the already charged atmosphere
    surrounding municipal elections.

    While expressing optimism over the outcome of the contests, Free
    Patriotic Movement (FPM) candidate Georges Haddad nonetheless
    complained about the heavy presence of Internal Security Force (ISF)
    personnel at voting posts in Hadath, which he said resembled "ISF
    precincts."

    Haddad also said that most of the distributed candidates' lists were
    wrong because "they included names from other lists."

    Current Hadath Mayor Antoine Karam disputed Haddad's assessment of the
    voting, however, saying that the electoral process had been "dispute
    free."

    "FPM are acting just like peacocks," said Karam. "I find it very hard
    to imagine that the FPM can breach our list," he added.

    By 5 p.m., a light morning turnout in Hadath of 25 percent had risen to
    43 percent.

    No election irregularities were reported in Haret Hreik, where only one
    independent candidate, Joseph Dakkash, ran against the list backed by
    Hizbullah.

    In Chiyah, opposition candidate Mareline Selfani said she wished that
    the electoral process had been more democratic.

    "Everything started wrong, as our contestants' representatives were
    illegally distributing their electoral tickets on the doors of voting
    posts," she said.

    Edmond Gharius, Chiyah's current mayor was more optimistic, however,
    regarding the elections.

    Gharius, who is the son-in-law of ex-Interior minister Michel Murr,
    said that there had been some administrative problems regarding missing
    electoral identity cards, "but," he said, "it is a thing that happens
    during any election."


    Coast of metn


    Authorities arrest several voters


    Several voters and representatives of opposition candidates on Sunday
    were arrested and beaten up in Metn areas, which is considered former
    Interior Minister Michel Murr's turf.

    Clashes and confrontations took place between the opposition and the
    authoritries, especially in the municipalities of
    Jdeideh-Boushrieh-Sadd, Zalka-Amarat Shalhoub, whereas other areas did
    not even witness an electoral battle, such as Bourj Hammoud, where the
    authority-supported list won uncontested.

    A fight between Free Patriotic Movement representatives and some
    delegates from Tashnak Party in Jdeideh-Boushrieh-Sadd municipality
    resulted in four arrests of Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) supporters.
    In addition, a confrontation between delegates from the opposition list
    and others from the current municipal council which is backed by the
    authorities took place in Zalka-Amarat Shalhoub municipality.

    "A delegate from the Michel Assaf Murr (current mayor) took a list from
    our delegate and ripped it up, and earlier this morning, voters were
    banned from using the booth," Faddy Massoud, an FPM member said.

    However, Murr asserted that everything was under control, "there is no
    need for further quarrel, voters will make their choice with no
    pressure."

    Meanwhile, a heavy turn-out of naturalized citizens, who do not live in
    Mount Lebanon, prompted feelings of anger among opposition
    representatives. This group of voters who were granted citizenship
    under a disputed law, came from the Bekaa and South areas.

    One of the bus drivers said that lists were distributed to them before
    they headed out.

    "These people don't even know how to read and write so they don't even
    know who they are voting for," Eddie Jbeily, an FPM member monitoring
    the course of elections at the Jdeideh municipality said.

    In Antelias and Dbayyeh, elections took place quietly, and candidates
    from both sides asserted on the democratic slant of the elections, and
    that results will be decided by voters.
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