In content, the turnout at the ballot boxes did not live up to the aspirations of the desired change, with a percentage of about 42% recorded on the national map, a decrease of about 8% compared to the 49.7% in the 2018 session, which resulted in a “hasel mixture.” The seats were distributed among winning candidates from several lists, at a time when the semi-final outcome at night showed that the opposition, change and revolutionary forces had achieved fundamental violations that hit the core of power and undermined the power of the Shiite duo in some southern and Beqaa districts, while the Sunni vote reflected the reality of the weakening of the sect and the dispersal of their votes without leading Calls for a boycott have a decisive impact on the electoral process.
During the coverage of the events of the long election day, a number of violations, intimidation and bullying emerged in a number of polling stations under the microscope of the “Lady” association and election observation missions. Problems were observed in some circles between representatives of “Hezbollah” and “Lebanese Forces”, and the destruction of campaign chairs and tents. Elections for the opposition parties, in addition to “hitting and dragging” one of the lists’ delegates after insulting the President of the Republic in Haret Hreik, as well as expelling the delegates of the list headed by Sheikh Abbas Al-Jawhari from the polling stations in the town of Church in Baalbek district, and in Kfarhouna, Jezzine district. Attacking the “forces” delegates in the town, wounding two of them, and taking them to hospital for treatment.
As a consequence, there was a media exchange between “Hezbollah” and the “Lebanese Forces”, so that the “party” tried to evade responsibility for the attacks on troop delegates in the Bekaa, denying any connection between its machine and its delegates with the problems that occurred, so the media department in the “Forces” hastened. To refute the series of “facts proven first-hand and by people’s testimonies and in front of television, confirming that Hezbollah, through its affiliated groups, practiced intimidation in two directions: attacking delegates on the one hand, and intimidating people from voting on the other.”
On the official level, Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi bragged about the success of the election, and Mikati considered that “the elections passed with minimal impurities and we came out with a great victory for the Lebanese state and the citizens,” expressing his hope that the electoral results will result in “a parliament cooperating with the authority.” The next executive branch in order to extricate Lebanon from the current crisis,” while expressing his hope that the binding “parliamentary consultations” to form a new government would not be delayed, indicating that this responsibility rests with President Michel Aoun, who must expedite the call for consultations to choose the next prime minister-designate. To save Lebanon.
Pending the end of the counting process and the announcement of the final results of all ballot boxes inside and out, the Secretary-General of “Lady” Association, Roni Al-Asaad, set the election day yesterday under the title “pressure, intimidation, assault and weakness of organization,” stressing that “violations were wholesale as intimidation of delegates and observers, while the security forces did not Nothing.”
“Ladi” also confirmed in its evening report that it “documented wholesale violations in the voting process,” as well as attacks on its observers in many areas, “where a number of delegates were subjected to beatings and threats, forcing the association to withdraw a number of them from some centers and regions,” explaining Most of the monitors from the villages of Sidon, which numbered 31, were harassed by representatives of the “Hezbollah” and “Amal Movement” regulations, and monitors in the Ramadi area in Tyre were threatened by a representative of the “Amal Movement” and observers in the area Al-Saxakieh threatened and asked them to leave, and monitored in Kfar Melki – Sidon for insulting and beating by a representative of “Hezbollah”, and other observers for harassment by the delegates of Hezbollah.
For his part, the head of the European Election Observation Mission in Lebanon, George Holvini, announced that it “has deployed about 170 observers throughout the country,” noting that the mission is in the process of presenting its evaluation report on the electoral process tomorrow, Tuesday, to refute “what it observed during the electoral campaigns and on election day.”