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Tyre: Between the Rubble and the Ballot Box
SpotlightTyre: Between the Rubble and the Ballot Box

Shattered windows, pockmarked walls and bulldozers clearing debris – these are the lasting imprints of war that Tyre bears just six months after the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel. Once a vibrant port city, Tyre now struggles under the weight of destruction. Yet, amid the rubble, life is cautiously resuming: vendors have reopened their ...

Municipal Elections in South Lebanon and Nabatiyeh: Civil Defense on Maximum Alert
Municipal Elections in South Lebanon and Nabatiyeh: Civil Defense on Maximum Alert

Lebanon’s Civil Defense has announced a significant increase in readiness ahead of the fourth and final phase of the municipal elections, scheduled for Saturday, May 24 in the South Lebanon and Nabatiyeh governorates. In accordance with directives issued by Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ahmad Hajjar, Civil Defense Director General ...

From Protest to Compromise: A Political Failure for Lebanon’s ‘Change’ MPs
From Protest to Compromise: A Political Failure for Lebanon’s ‘Change’ MPs

A surprise in name only. The dismal performance of Lebanon’s so-called “change” movement in the ongoing municipal elections has once again laid bare a reality its MPs have long sought to obscure. They had presented themselves as a breath of fresh, hopeful air in a suffocating country. Riding the momentum of the October 2019 uprising, these ...

Jezzine Municipal Elections: FPM and LF Face Off in Close Race
Jezzine Municipal Elections: FPM and LF Face Off in Close Race

Jezzine Municipal Elections: FPM and LF Neck and Neck With municipal elections scheduled for Saturday, May 24, 2025, the southern Lebanese town of Jezzine is bracing for a vote with significant political consequences. Beneath the calm facade of this picturesque destination—famous for its 40-meter waterfall and home to Lebanon’s largest stone ...

Acting Hermel Caimacam Arrested Over Disappearance of Election Accreditations
Acting Hermel Caimacam Arrested Over Disappearance of Election Accreditations

The Acting Qaimaqam of Hermel, Talal Kataya, was arrested on Tuesday by Lebanon’s State Security Service for his suspected role in the disappearance of nearly 500 official election accreditations designated for polling delegates in the Baalbeck-Hermel district. The arrest was carried out under orders from the judicial authorities in the Beqaa, ...

Ahmad Hajjar Tours South Lebanon: Aiming for Smooth Elections
Ahmad Hajjar Tours South Lebanon: Aiming for Smooth Elections

In the build-up to the final phase of the municipal and mukhtar elections scheduled to take place in southern Lebanon on Saturday, May 24, Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar embarked on an inspection tour of the southern part of the country on Tuesday morning. “We are anticipating any attempt to disrupt the vote,” he declared from the Saida ...

Hajjar: Full Election Results to Be Announced Within 24 Hours
Hajjar: Full Election Results to Be Announced Within 24 Hours

Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar confirmed Monday that the complete results of Lebanon’s elections would be released within 24 hours, denying any delays or irregularities in the vote-counting process. “There are no issues, and if there were, we would have addressed them. There is no delay,” Hajjar stated during an inspection tour alongside ...

Municipal Elections in Beirut and Beqaa: Political Messages Emerge Amid Low Turnout
Municipal Elections in Beirut and Beqaa: Political Messages Emerge Amid Low Turnout

The third round of Lebanon’s municipal and mukhtar elections was held on Sunday across the capital Beirut and in the governorates of Beqaa and Baalbeck-Hermel. Over one million voters were eligible to cast their ballots. Voter turnout varied significantly: 20% in Beirut, 46.73% in Baalbeck, 45.16% in Zahle, 41.41% in West Beqaa, 34.56% in ...

Beirut: The Ones Who Did Not Vote
VideosBeirut: The Ones Who Did Not Vote

In Beirut, this municipal election on Sunday unfolded in relative indifference. In some neighborhoods of the capital, only a handful of people made it to the polls. Among those who chose not to vote, many cite disinterest, disappointment or lack of information.

Minister of Interior Reassures on Smooth Election Process
Minister of Interior Reassures on Smooth Election Process

During his visit to the Baalbeck-Hermel Governorate headquarters, Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ahmad al-Hajjar confirmed that the electoral process is proceeding very smoothly. He noted that complaints have been minimal and mostly administrative, as is usually the case, with only minor incidents in Fakiha, Kfar Zabad and Hrabta, where ...

Beirut Votes: Six Competing Lists and Low Turnout
VideosBeirut Votes: Six Competing Lists and Low Turnout

In Beirut’s 2nd district, stretching from Mazraa to Ras Beirut, six electoral lists are competing in a low-turnout race. The broad “Beirut Btejmaana” alliance leads, facing off against the so-called reformist “Beirut Madinati” and other contenders, as voters weigh tradition, change and the post-Hariri political landscape.

Baalbeck Votes: A Usual Election Draped in Yellow
VideosBaalbeck Votes: A Usual Election Draped in Yellow

On Sunday, May 18, Baalbeck heads to the polls draped in yellow and green. The dominance of the Hezbollah-Amal alliance remains strong, while civil society struggles to make an impact. Amid the city’s lingering wounds from war, hope for change persists.

Municipal Elections in Beirut and Beqaa: What About Turnout and Complaints?
Municipal Elections in Beirut and Beqaa: What About Turnout and Complaints?

Municipal and mukhtar elections in Beirut and the Beqaa began at 7 AM on Sunday. The voting percentages reported so far are as follows: Beirut: 12.39% Baalbek: 28.92% Hermel: 22.83% Zahleh: 29.84% Rashaya: 24.72% Western Beqaa : 26.50% Incidents and complaints The elections were marked by a number of irregularities and incidents from the ...

Nawaf Salam After Voting: 'Beirut Elections Are a Real Development Opportunity'
Nawaf Salam After Voting: 'Beirut Elections Are a Real Development Opportunity'

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam cast his vote this morning at Omar Fakhoury High School in Burj Hassan during Beirut’s municipal and mukhtar elections. He stated that the elections aim to serve the city, promote its development and meet the needs of its residents. When asked about the issue of equal representation in the Beirut Municipal Council, he ...

Municipal Elections: 500 Delegate Accreditations Go Missing in Hermel on the Eve of the Vote
Municipal Elections: 500 Delegate Accreditations Go Missing in Hermel on the Eve of the Vote

The qaimaqam (district administrator) of the Hermel region, Talal Kataya, has been placed under investigation following the disappearance of approximately 500 official delegate accreditations intended for representatives of various candidates, all against Hezbollah, in the Baalbeck-Hermel area, Al-Markazia news agency reported on Saturday. He was ...

Preserving a False Parity…
Preserving a False Parity…

We spare no efforts when it comes to sugarcoating reality. Some moderate Muslim voices often repeat that a neighborhood without Christians is a neighborhood lost. Christians, in turn, echo such sentiments with phrases like “We stand together with Sunnis for a better Beirut.” But beneath the surface, the numbers tell a different story. Sunnis ...

Beirut Out of Breath: The Anger of a Forsaken Capital
ReportBeirut Out of Breath: The Anger of a Forsaken Capital

Whether they live in Gemmayzeh, Geitawi, Ashrafieh (Beirut 1) or Hamra, Mazraa, Verdun or Mar Elias (Beirut 2), Beirutis share the same demands – mainly security – which will weigh heavily on the shoulders of the incoming municipal council. The residents we spoke with painted a grim picture of the municipality’s performance, particularly ...

Interior Ministry Defines Polling Station Perimeters, Bans Electoral Activity Within Zones
Interior Ministry Defines Polling Station Perimeters, Bans Electoral Activity Within Zones

In preparation for the municipal and elective local elections scheduled for later this month, the minister of Interior and Municipalities issued an official circular on Friday reinforcing security measures around polling stations and prohibiting any form of electoral campaigning within a designated perimeter. The circular, based on Article 91 of ...

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