Lebanese Ministry of Information
Today, Sunday 6th of May, the electoral ballots opened across Lebanon, and from 7 am. (04:00 GMT), people started queuing in front of the polling stations in order to cast their votes for a new first parliament since 9 years.
The last elections were in 2009, for what was supposed to be a four-year term, but parliament extended it twice due to instability in neighbouring Syria as well as to reform the country’s electoral laws.
It is to note that the new electoral system, reduced the number of districts, and allowed expatriate voting for the first time.
Polling stations are scheduled to last until 19:00 local time (16:00 GMT), with unofficial details expected to start emerging in overnight but formal results will be announced on Monday .
Television stations broadcasted cars and mopeds that were decked out with the flags of the main parties, loudspeakers blared songs in support of candidates near their electoral strongholds and young people outside polling stations wore colored T-shirts indicating their political leaders.
However, there is a security presence in Beirut and across all the country, where residents witness the Lebanese army with armored vehicles driving slowly into the cities or parking near the polling stations. Also, Security forces stood on street corners and near the crowded electoral booths in order to regulate and prevent roads’ traffic.
B.Costantine
