Municipal vote in war-torn south Lebanon highlights shifting political dynamics — the details
Reconstruction has not yet begun in southern Lebanon, which was devastated by the Israeli war. Yet the region is preparing for municipal elections expected to reflect the choices of its people, amid contests unfolding across all districts.
Two factors make these elections different from those in other governorates: Many of the destroyed villages have relocated their polling stations to other areas out of fear of Israeli attacks.
Additionally, the elections are scheduled for Saturday, May 24, instead of Sunday, May 25—the anniversary of the liberation of the south from Israeli occupation in 2000.
This year's anniversary coincides with parts of southern Lebanese territory being re-occupied.
In the South Governorate, there are 153 municipalities: 48 in the Sidon District, six of which are uncontested; 40 in the Jezzine District, with nine uncontested; and 65 in the Tyre District, also with nine uncontested.
In the Nabatieh Governorate, there are 119 municipalities: 40 in the Nabatieh District, three of which are uncontested; 36 in Bint Jbeil, with two uncontested; 17 in Hasbaya, with two uncontested; and 26 in Marjeyoun, also with two uncontested.
In predominantly Shiite cities, towns, and villages, the Hezbollah-Amal Movement political duo is seeking to demonstrate its strong presence and that its popularity has not been shaken by the war or by targeted campaigns, particularly those directed at Hezbollah.
The duo has formed "Development and Loyalty" lists, which are being challenged by independent candidates, leftist groups, and change-driven forces, all aiming to contest what they describe as the alliance's dominance.
In the Sunni communities of the south, particularly in Sidon and the Arqoub area, the absence of the Future Movement has turned the elections into family-based contests. However, politics still play a central role, with several parties, various figures, and current and former Sunni members of Parliament backing competing electoral lists.
In Christian towns, villages, and cities, political competition—shaped by family dynamics—is expected to be intense, particularly between the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb Party on one side, and the Free Patriotic Movement and figures close to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on the other.
Rivalry is especially visible in the contest for the presidency of the Union of Jezzine Municipalities.
In Druze communities, politics and family ties are also intertwined. The Progressive Socialist Party remains dominant, followed by the Lebanese Democratic Party. Both have leaned toward cooperation in this election cycle, with Berri also exerting some influence, along with change-driven forces and independent figures.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
L'Orient-Le Jour
11 minutes ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Michel Pharaon launches initiative to disarm Beirut militias
Former Minister Michel Pharaon launched an initiative Friday to disarm militias in Beirut, ahead of a Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday that will focus on restoring the state's monopoly over weapons. The initiative is clearly aimed at Hezbollah, even though the former minister did not explicitly name the party during his press conference in Beirut. "We are launching the 'Demilitarized Metropolitan Beirut' initiative, a move that should bring significant benefits to Lebanon, strengthen it, protect the southern suburb and ensure the security of the port and airport," Pharaon said. "I am calling to start with the disarmament of Beirut, because of the benefits it would bring and in order to remove the capital from any risk of attack, while the disarmament of the South and Bekaa is dragging on and facing obstacles," he added. "There is a fear of a return to war, but Lebanon has friends who help it defend its rights. The actions of the Israeli army are no longer acceptable," he continued. Since the cease-fire decreed at the end of November, which ended more than a year of clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, the Israeli army has been bombing southern Lebanon almost daily, sometimes extending its strikes to the Bekaa or Beirut's southern suburbs. Israel claims to be targeting men or equipment belonging to Hezbollah. While Israel reproaches the party for not handing over its weapons to the Lebanese state, Hezbollah, for its part, accuses the Israeli army of failing to respect its withdrawal commitments, still occupying several strategic points in southern Lebanon. "There will be no investment in Lebanon without guarantees in terms of security and justice. Today, we are trying to build a state according to the compass set out by the president of the republic in his inaugural address, but some parties still want to block this process," Pharaon also said. Just days before the fifth anniversary of the deadly explosion at Beirut's port, the former minister expressed hope that the indictment set to be issued by investigative judge Tarek Bitar will soon be published. "Major obstacles still stand before Judge Bitar and we are still living under the grip of the same system," he concluded.
L'Orient-Le Jour
11 minutes ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Baccalaureate results released, south Lebanon records highest success rates
BEIRUT — The Education Ministry published on Friday the results of the Baccalaureate covering all four streams (General Sciences, Life Sciences, Economics & Sociology and Humanities). Southern Lebanon recorded the highest success rates across all streams, which is a remarkable achievement, especially given the region's heavy exposure to the 2023-2024 war and the fact that it is still subjected to near-daily Israeli airstrikes. The results were published on the official website of the Education Ministry, on social media, and by text message to the candidates' phone numbers. In the Humanities stream, the national success rate stood at 59.28 percent, with the highest score in Southern Lebanon (90.48 percent) and the lowest in the North (40.27 percent). Results improved significantly in the Economics & Sociology stream, where the average success rate reached 85.62 percent. Nabatieh topped the chart with 93.89 percent, while Baalbeck-Hermel came in at the lower end with 78.26 percent. The success rate was even higher in the General Sciences (91.92 percent). Once again, southern Lebanon led the pack with 96.31 percent, as Baalbeck-Hermel trailed at 83.16 percent. Finally, in the Life Sciences, the overall rate was around 91 percent. The South maintained its high performance at 94.84 percent while Baalbeck-Hermel remained the lowest scoring region with 84.81 percent. Before the release of the results, the Education and Higher Education Minister, Rima Karameh, called on candidates and their families on Friday to express their joy by refraining from firing shots, 'so that joy does not turn to sadness,' in a statement announcing the publication of the results of the official general baccalaureate exams in its four streams, as well as those of independent candidates for the brevet. Unfortunately, celebratory gunfire is a common phenomenon in Lebanon and often results in injuries or even fatalities. In her statement, Karameh asked the Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar to 'take the necessary legal measures against offenders.' The Lebanese baccalaureate exams took place in July in a particularly difficult context, as the year was marked by a conflict lasting more than a year between Hezbollah and Israel since Oct. 8, 2023, resulting in thousands of casualties, the displacement of hundreds of thousands of residents of southern Lebanon, the southern suburbs of Beirut and the Bekaa Valley, and the destruction of many schools and homes in these regions. Despite the reluctance of the Shiite community, which was particularly affected by the war, Minister Karameh maintained the baccalaureate exams, canceling only the brevet exams, as an exception this year.
Nahar Net
37 minutes ago
- Nahar Net
Four killed in Thursday's Israeli strikes on south, east Lebanon
by Naharnet Newsdesk 11 hours A series of Israeli air strikes killed four people in south and east Lebanon, the health ministry said Friday, offering a toll for attacks that took place the day before. The Israeli military said on Thursday that it had targeted Hezbollah "infrastructure that was used for producing and storing strategic weapons", including what the country's defense minister described as the group's "biggest precision missile manufacturing site". In the Bekaa, the airstrikes had targeted the outskirts of the town of Brital in two waves and the peripheries of the town of Janta near Syria's border. Israeli warplanes also carried out Thursday strikes on the heights of the al-Mahmoudiyeh and al-Jarmaq areas in south Lebanon's Jezzine region. Earlier, President Joseph Aoun had said that his country was determined to disarm Hezbollah, a step it has come under heavy U.S. pressure to take, despite the group's protests that doing so would serve Israeli goals. Hezbollah and Israel fought a two-month war last year that left the militant group badly weakened, though it retains part of its arsenal.
