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3. Municipal Elections in Beirut: Will “Change MPs” Be Punished by Voters?

Well-informed sources about the electoral dynamic in Beirut's constituency report a sharp anger among voters against the so-called “Change” MPs. Behind the “reformist” rhetoric and breakaway slogans, more and more voters are perceiving ambiguous and sometimes confusing positions on sensitive issues, fuelling doubts about their true intentions.

Their proximity to “certain NGOs and lobbies claiming to be in favor of reform”, but considered by many Beirut residents as “out of touch with local realities”, further aggravates this loss of trust.

Still, according to these sources, these parliamentarians' open support for a specific municipal list could even cost them dearly. This list, which achieved somewhat decent results in the last municipal elections in 2016, is now in danger of seeing its chances seriously undermined. It seems that “certain alliances, far from being beneficial, end up being detrimental”. And voters don't seem to want to let it go.

Many would be ready to “sanction at the ballot box” those who, while “ignoring the potholed sidewalks, mountains of trash, lack of street lighting and growing fear in the streets, choose to campaign on civil marriage and individual freedoms”. Valid battles indeed, but far removed from the vital priorities of an asphyxiated capital, where people suffocate and slip on garbage, and where going out after sundown requires courage.

In short, while the house burns down, some people continue to debate the color of the curtains.