BEIRUT: Lebanon is gearing up for parliamentary elections on Sunday, the first to be held under a new electoral law that aims for more representation. But despite the change, some are doubtful that the first election to be held in nine years will bring real change. “This parliamentary election will not bring new faces to the sectarian dynasties; those who are ruling now will return to office. If not them, their children,” said Ahmed Itani, from Beirut.
Under the new law, passed in June, voters will cast ballots for their 128-member parliament under a proportional system, which sees parties gaining seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them.
The country is divided into 15 electoral constituencies.
The new law also stipulates that each voter chooses a list, as well as casts one preferential vote for a candidate from that same list.
The new system does away with the past majoritarian voting system, which gave the majority bloc in each district the right to all seats, thus denying representation to all minorities.
Lebanon’s political system was created after a 15-year civil war that ended with the Saudi-negotiated 1989 Taif Agreement, under which the parliament’s seats are divided equally among Muslims and Christians.
However, polling experts predict that despite the new electoral law, the majority of lawmakers affiliated with major political blocs will be re-elected, with very few new faces able to win seats.
“Many [Lebanese] will continue to vote for the traditional political parties,” said political analyst Amin Qamouriyeh said. “Few will probably vote for the emerging so-called civil society,” he added, referring to the independent candidates.
“The rest who have given up on change will prefer to boycott and enjoy a day off on May 6,” Qamouriyeh said.
The new law, which encouraged women especially to run in this election, will give the Lebanese in the diaspora the chance to cast their ballots for the first time in the country’s history as well.
A total of 583 candidates are running in Sunday’s election, according to the Interior Ministry.
Of the candidates, 111 are women - a seven-fold increase from 2009, when there were only 15 female candidates among the 702 hopefuls.
However, the high number of candidates is disappointing for candidate Khould Wattar Kassem, who said she feels that running in this round of elections will not make a difference, “as the Lebanese voters are not ready to vote for new people.”
“Simply, voters are scared by change. Some of them would rather follow the old politicians they already know and not vote for new ones coming into the political arena, while others will simply refrain from voting since they believe our voices will not make a difference,” Kassem said.
Polling expert Kamal Feghali said the main competition in the elections will be between two coalitions: One led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, an ally of the West and Saudi Arabia, and another led by the Hezbollah group.
Polling stations, which will open at 7 am (04:00 GMT) on May 6, will be monitored by independent monitors from the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections and an EU election observation mission.
Initial results of the one-day vote are scheduled to be announced on May 7, which the government has declared a public holiday. — dpa
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