BEIRUT -- Lebanon's first national elections in nine years were marked by a tepid turnout Sunday, reflecting voter frustration over endemic corruption and a stagnant economy. Politicians urged citizens to vote and security forces struggled to maintain order as fights broke out in and around polling stations.
President Michel Aoun appealed to voters to vote in a televised address an hour before polls closed. "If you want change, you should exercise your right" to vote, he said in a message published on Twitter at the same time.
The elections are the first since war broke out in neighboring Syria in 2011, sending over 1 million refugees to Lebanon, a small country with an estimated population of around 4.5 million. The war has divided the country, pitting parties supporting the Iran-sponsored Hezbollah's intervention in Syria to aide President Bashar Assad against Saudi-aligned parties opposed to his government.
Early results were expected to start coming in later Sunday, but official results are expected to be announced today.
But low turnout -- between 30 percent and 40 percent in Beirut precincts according to the country's National News Agency -- betrayed widespread voter apathy for the main political currents governing the country and left open the possibility that outside candidates could win seats in Parliament.
More than 500 candidates are running for 128 seats in Lebanon's National Assembly.
Fist fights broke out in and around polling stations around the country, as rival partisans accused one another and election officials of ballot stuffing and illegal campaigning.
In the Choueifat district, a crowd inside a station accused the station supervisor of illegal voting practices and smashed a ballot box, spilling its contents across the floor.
The army ordered the media to turn off their cameras.
In Zahle, the politician Mryiam Skaff blamed members of the right-wing Lebanese Forces party of beating up her supporters in polling stations.
The voting is unlikely to change the existing balance of power among the major political factions in Lebanon, but many hope new contenders from civil society groups can challenge the decades-old sectarian political system.
The main race is between a Western and Saudi-backed coalition headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group, part of a region-wide power struggle that is tearing apart the Middle East.
"This shows Lebanon's democracy and the importance of democracy. This is a democratic wedding, and as we said from the start, congratulations to whoever wins tonight," said Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk, who is running on Hariri's list, after casting his ballot in Beirut.
"When we see what is happening in countries around us and Lebanon is holding democratic elections, this shows that Lebanon is fine," Hariri said after waiting in line about 20 minutes to cast his ballot. "Order is nice," he quipped.
Hezbollah has sent thousands of fighters to back Assad's forces, a move that has been criticized by many Lebanese, mainly Sunni Muslims and Christians, who see the group as dragging the country into regional conflicts.
Leading Hezbollah legislator Ali Ammar defended his group's involvement in Syria, saying it protected Lebanon from the "evil powers" of the Islamic State group and al-Qaida.
In Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut, there was a steady flow of voters Sunday. Streets were festooned with candidates' posters and Hezbollah's signature yellow flags.
Outside polling stations, Hezbollah supporters displayed a replica of the voting ballot on a big board and explained to voters which among the color-coded lists is theirs, and how they can vote for it. They wore yellow shirts with the slogan "We protect and build" written on them.
This year's vote is according to a new election law that is based on proportional representation for the first time. Voters will choose one list of allied candidates, as well as a preferred candidate from among them. In the past, the winning list took all the seats in the electoral district.
That has cracked open the door for more outsiders to field the elections, challenging political titans who have long ruled the country based on a sectarian and family patronage system.
At midday, after casting his ballot in southern Beirut, President Michel Aoun described the process as "successful."
Wary of voters' apathy toward a vote unlikely to change much, he urged people to turn out in large numbers.
The legislature's term was supposed to expire in 2013, but lawmakers have approved several extensions since then, citing security concerns linked to the spillover from Syria's war. Lebanese who support opposing sides in the war have clashed on a number of occasions, and Sunni extremists have carried out several bombings.
Information for this article was contributed by Hassan Ammar of The Associated Press.
A Section on 05/07/2018