This is Beirut - Lebanese Forces

Mount Lebanon Votes: Early Tallies Hint at New Political Balance

This is Beirut, 05/05 12:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Amal Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Hezbollah Kataëb PSP

The first phase of municipal elections concluded on Sunday evening with the closure of polling stations in Mount Lebanon at 7:00 PM. Voter turnout stood at 45.08%, slightly below the 47.4% recorded in 2016. As ballot counting got underway, early results began revealing key trends across several districts. On Monday morning, Mount Lebanon Governor ...

Lebanon’s Municipal Elections Signal a Shift in Political Power

Michel Touma, 05/05 08:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Amal Hezbollah Lebanese Forces Municipal elections\ Kataeb

These are no ordinary municipal elections. The first round, held on Sunday, May 4, in the strategically significant Mount Lebanon region, marks more than just a local vote. This election, and those to follow across the country in the coming weeks, could break with past patterns. What sets this moment apart is the broader context: a time of ...

Mount Lebanon Votes: High Voter Turnout and Political Rivalries

Élie-Joe Kamel, 04/05 14:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Kataeb Mount Lebanon Municipal Elections

In the Mount Lebanon Mohafaza, municipal elections kicked off on Sunday morning with a relatively high voter turnout reported by early afternoon, according to data released by the Ministry of Interior. Out of 833,715 registered voters, 162,271 cast their ballots, with turnout rates recorded at 34.08% in Keserwan, 23.64% in Aley, 32.26% in Jbeil, ...

Municipal Elections Set Stage for Legislative Showdown

Johnny Kortbawi, 02/05 15:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Amal Hezbollah Lebanese Forces

The municipal elections, even indirectly, will have a significant impact on the upcoming parliamentary elections. Many of these coalitions may not endure, but they reveal how political actors are positioning themselves—not just in relation to their allies, but more tellingly, to their rivals. In Metn, the alliance between the Free Patriotic ...

Jbeil: A Pivotal Electoral Battle

Élie-Joe Kamel, 02/05 10:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Jbeil municipal elections

The upcoming municipal elections in Jbeil are set to be crucial, with significant implications for both the city and the surrounding region. Jbeil, also known as Byblos, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities and a UNESCO World Heritage site, plays a strategic role as Lebanon’s cultural, tourism, and economic hub. Its ...

Jounieh: An Electoral Battle That Reshapes National Alliances

Élie-Joe Kamel, 01/05 12:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Hezbollah municipal elections Lebanon Jounieh

Jounieh’s upcoming municipal elections, scheduled for May 4, are shaping up to be a decisive political showdown. A broad coalition has formed to challenge the outgoing municipal council, which is closely aligned with the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM). The stakes are high in Jounieh, once hailed as the “pearl of the Mediterranean” and one of ...

Baabda-Louaizeh: Families, Parties and Clientelism

Paul Guillot, 30/04 14:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Hezbollah municipal elections Lebanon Baabda-Louaizeh

On the eve of municipal elections in Baabda-Louaizeh, three competing lists are contending in a climate marked by family rivalries, sectarian tensions and shifting political alliances. Amid changing party loyalties, the clientelist influence of the village of Sebnay and a population eager for improved public services, Sunday’s vote could ...

Municipal Elections in Batroun: A Shifting Political Landscape

Samar El-Kadi, 27/04 10:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Gebran Bassil Hezbollah municipal elections Batroun

Nine years after they were last held—after a hiatus marked by repeated postponements—municipal elections in Lebanon are scheduled to take place over four consecutive Sundays beginning on May 4. The conditions under which the 2016 elections were conducted have changed dramatically. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group, has lost significant ...

Ed Gabriel: Full Implementation of Ceasefire Agreement and Economic Reforms for Lebanon

This is Beirut, 09/04 10:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Ceasefire American Task Force on Lebanon Lebanese Forces Lebanese Army

Ed Gabriel, head of the American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL), stressed the need for the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement as well as the ongoing economic reforms under discussion in the Lebanese government. He made this statement during a meeting on Tuesday with Samir Geagea, the leader of the Lebanese Forces (LF). Regarding the ...

LF and Popular Bloc to Join Forces in Zahle Municipal Elections

This is Beirut, 07/04 12:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea Municipal Elections Popular Block Myriam Skaff

The Lebanese Forces will join forces with the Popular Bloc, led by Myriam Skaff, to run for municipal elections in the city of Zahle, according to a communique published on Monday. The two parties agreed to run on a unified list and called on the people of Zahle to turn out to vote in big numbers. They also rejected any postponement of the ...

Morgan Ortagus and the Politics of Soft Power

This Is Beirut, 05/04 15:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Banque du Liban Hamas Hezbollah Joseph Aoun Lebanese Forces

The US President's Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, appears to be pursuing a policy of soft power diplomacy in Lebanon, where she began an official two-day mission yesterday. Arriving in Beirut on Friday, the American envoy held talks on Saturday morning with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker ...

Gebran Bassil: Navigating His Political Exit Strategies

Johnny Kortbawi, 29/03 09:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Gebran Bassil Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Baalbeck Hezbollah

Gebran Bassil, the son-in-law of former President Michel Aoun, is hardly envied for his limited options, particularly with the upcoming parliamentary elections. He is growing increasingly concerned about the potential alliance between Majd Harb, son of former MP and Minister Boutros Harb, and the Lebanese Forces (LF) in Batroun, a partnership that ...

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