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Polls close as Lebanon counts key election votes
[Al Arabiya Latest] Polling centers closed at 4:00 p.m. GMT on Sunday in Lebanon's hotly contested general election that could see an alliance led by the Shiite group Hezbollah defeat the Western-backed majority in parliament.Those inside voting centers by their closing time would be allowed to cast a ballot, after people turned out in masses to vote in the crucial parliamentary election. Voter turnout reached 53 percent, higher than the 45 percen turnout registered in the 2005 elections, Lebanon's interior minister said after polls closed. Voting took place amid heavy security measures with the army and police deployed in force throughout the country, preventing any outbreak of violence between the two camps. The election is expected to be a tight race for the 128-seat parliament between coalitions at odds over issues including the fate of Hezbollah's powerful army and relations with neighboring Syria, which had forces in Lebanon until 2005. Some polls forecast a narrow victory for Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, and its allies, including Christian leader Michel Aoun. Posted by: Fred 2009-06-08 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=271450 |