Lebanese voted on Sunday in the first parliamentary election since the country’s economic collapse, with many saying they hope to strike a blow at the ruling politicians they blame for the crisis, even if the chances of big change seem slim.
The election is seen as a test of whether Iran-backed and heavily armed Hezbollah and its allies can retain their majority in the assembly amid growing poverty and anger from ruling parties.
Since Lebanon last voted in 2018, the country has suffered an economic meltdown that the World Bank says was orchestrated by the ruling class and a massive explosion at the port of Beirut in 2020.
But while analysts believe public anger could help reformist candidates win some seats, expectations are low for a major shift in the balance of power, with the sectarian political system skewed in favor of established parties.
The collapse marked Lebanon’s most destabilizing crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war, sinking the currency by more than 90%, plunging three-quarters of the population into poverty and freezing bank deposits.
In a symptom of the collapse, polling stations across the country suffered power cuts on Sunday.
Fighting and other disputes disrupted voting in several districts, according to the state news agency, demanding the intervention of security forces before it could resume. Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said the incidents remained “at an acceptable level”.
Source: CNN Brasil
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