09 June 2009

BEIRUT: Official results issued by the Interior Ministry on Monday confirmed that the March 14 Forces achieved victory in the elections, with 71 seats against 57 seats for the opposition forces. Lebanese President Michel Sleiman expressed his satisfaction over "the transparent elections, and the high spirit of democracy that prevailed throughout the electoral process."

"The elections proved that the Lebanese are able to preserve their democratic system in this important phase of our history," Sleiman said in a statement on Monday.

The president reiterated his calls for launching political and administrative reforms.

He also voiced hope that  "all parties will cooperate together to help the country face economic and political challenges."

Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud announced the official poll results in a press conference held at the ministry on Monday.

Winners included MPs Michel Aoun, Farid Elias Khazen, Youssef Khalil, Neamatallah Abi Nasser and Gilbert Zwein in the Kesrouan district, where the voter turnout reached 70 percent. 

MPs Strida Geagea and Elie Keyrouz won in the Bcharre district, where the voter turnout reached 37 percent.

MPs Ali Hassan Khalil, Ali Fayyad, Assaad Hardane, Anwar Khalil, Qassem Hashem won in the Marjayoun-Hasbaya district, with a 46 percent voter turnout.

MPs Abed al-Majid Saleh, Mohammad Fneish, Nawwaf Mussawi and Ali Khreis won in the Tyre district, where voter turnout was 48 percent.

Education Minister Bahia Hariri and Premier Fouad Siniora won in Sidon with voter turnout as high as 68 percent.

MPs Boutros Harb and Antoine Zahra won in Batroun, where voter turnout reached 56 percent.

Speaker Nabih Berri and MPs Ali Osseiran and Michel Moussa won in the Zahrani district, and voter turnout reached 54 percent.

MPs Walid Khoury, Simon Abi Ramia and Abbas Hashem won in the Jbeil district, where voter turnout was 65 percent.

Deputy Speaker Farid Makari and MPs Farid Habib and Nicolas Ghosn won in the Koura district, where voter turnout was 47 percent.

MPs Sleiman Franjieh, Salim Karam and Stephan Douaihy won in the Zgharta district, with the voter turnout reaching 48 percent.

MPs Akram Chehayeb, Talal Arslan, Henri Helou, Fouad Saad and Fadi Haber won in the Aley district, where voter turnout was 54 percent.

MPs Walid Jumblatt, Marwan Hamadeh, Dori Chamoun, Elie Aoun, George Adwan, Nehmeh Tohmeh, Alaaeddine Terro and Mohammad Hajjar won in the Chouf district, where voter turnout was 50 percent.

MPs Saad Hariri, Tammam Salam, Mohammad Qabbani,  Ammar Houri, Imad Hout, Atef Majdalani, Ghazi Aridi, Bassem al-Shab, Ghazi Youssef and Nabil de Freige won in the Beirut III district.

MPs Sami Gemayel, Ibrahim Kanaan, Nabil Nicolas, Salim Salhab, Michel Murr, Ghassan Moukheiber, Hagop Pakradounian and Edgard Maalouf won in the Metn district, where voter turnout reached 56 percent.

MPs Nadim Gemayel, Nayla Tueni, Michel Pharaon, Serge Torsarkissian and Jean Ogassapian won in the Beirut I district, with a 40 percent voter turnout.

MPs Mohammad Safadi, Najib Mikati, Mohammad Kabbara, Samir Jisr, Ahmad Karami,

Samer Saadeh, Bader Wannous and Robert Fadel won in the Tripoli district, as voter turnout was 45 percent.

Also on Monday, Berri praised the "patriotic stances" shown by Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri and Democratic Gathering bloc leader MP Walid Jumblatt following the announcement of the election results in several districts on Sunday night.

Berri said in a statement that Hariri and Jumblatt showed their "keenness on promoting partnership" and called on the Lebanese to strengthen national unity.

The speaker voiced hope that the Parliament would ratify a new electoral law based on the proportional system, adding that "Lebanon defeated all attempts to instigate sedition and chaos."

Berri called for the full implementation of the Taif Accord.

"Lebanon now has two strong points: democracy and Resistance," Berri said.

He also said all parties shouldered their national responsibility and showed that they aimed to adopt democracy as their political approach. He also voiced hope that tensions would be reduced following the June 7 elections.

Berri praised Baroud, the Lebanese security forces, the Lebanese Army, media outlets and the judiciary for "making the elections a success."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on Monday described the elections as an important phase in the country's history. Following a meeting with Sleiman in Baabda Monday, Siniora said: "The Lebanese will remember that they managed to achieve democratic elections and reinforce our democratic institutions."

He attributed the success of the elections to the president, the Cabinet, the ministers involved in the electoral process, the army and the Internal Security Forces.

Siniora stressed that "the logic of the rule of the state should prevail, and a capable state can embrace all the Lebanese."

"What happened paved the way for a new phase, in which all should work for Lebanon's interests and the sovereignty of the state and its stability ... we also have to understand the changes in our country and the region and prepare ourselves to face them," he added. Siniora also said the caretaker cabinet would convene next week, adding that it would be "constitutionally resigned when the new parliament assumes its responsibility on June 20."

Siniora expressed optimism about the new budget law to be discussed in the next session.

Meanwhile, Hizbullah MP Mohammad Raad warned the March 14 coalition on Monday that the group's weapons were not a subject open to discussion.

"The majority must commit not to question our role as a resistance party, the legitimacy of our weapons arsenal and the fact that Israel is an enemy state," Raad told Agence France Presse.

He warned that the outcome of Sunday's vote signaled further political turbulence. "The results indicate that the crisis will continue, unless the majority changes its attitude," Raad said.

In his weekly article to Al-Anbaa newspaper, Jumblatt praised "big efforts deployed by the security forces and Minister Baroud."

He also called for reconsidering the electoral law and promoting partnership. - With AFP

Obama congratulates Lebanese on vote

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama congratulated the Lebanese people for a peaceful national election held with "courage" and a "commitment to democracy." The Sunday vote produced a clear defeat for Hizbullah, the Iranian-backed group that the United States classifies as a terrorist organization.

"Once more, the people of Lebanon have demonstrated to the world their courage and the strength of their commitment to democracy," the president's statement said, without reference to Hizbullah.

The setback for the Shiite group coincided with Obama's call in Cairo last week for dialogue and understanding among Muslims and the predominantly Christian West, the United States in particular. - AP

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