Naharnet - By-elections Held across Lebanon to Choose 37 Municipal Councils, May 6 2012

Forty towns across Lebanon on Sunday witnessed municipal by-elections to choose 37 new municipal councils in a process that Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said took place in a democratic manner.

Polling stations closed at 7:00 PM.

During a press conference, the interior minister said that the official results will be announced Monday morning.

The Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE), which monitored the vote, reported three security incidents. It said two incidents occurred in the Akkar towns of al-Bireh and Tikrit and another in the Baalbek town of Miqraq.

LADE also reported an electoral bribery incident in the Keserwan town of Ajaltoun and illegal electoral advertising inside and near several polling stations.

Twenty councils have won uncontested and they include eight councils in the Akkar district, two in Bsharre, two in each of the western Bekaa, Jezzine, and Hasbaya, and one in each of Batroun, Baalbek, Bint Jbeil, and Marjeyoun.

The remaining 37 councils are spread throughout Lebanon and they include two in each of Aley and al-Chouf, and one in each of Kesrouan, Metn, and Jbeil in the Mount Lebanon district.

In northern Lebanon, voters were seeking to fill 12 councils in Akkar, five in Zgharta, and one in each of al-Minieh-Dinieh, Batroun, and al-Koura.

In the Bekaa district, voters sought to fill five councils in Baalbek, two in Rashaya, and one in the western Bekaa.

In the South, two councils in each of Sidon’s villages and Tyre, and one in Jezzine should be filled by voters.

Charbel noted that it was the first time in years that the municipal by-elections have taken place.

He stressed before reporters that the elections took place in “a peaceful and democratic manner and without incident.”

He later toured some of the towns to oversee the electoral process.

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