 Candidates led by the son of slain ex-Premier Rafik Hariri won all the seats in Beirut in Lebanon's general election yesterday, a government source said. "The count is nearly over and it's a landslide for Hariri's list," said the source, who asked not to be identified.
| I think we were expecting this. I'm glad they kicked the Syrians out, not too happy that they're still indulging in dynastic politix. We'll see what the rest of the elections bring. I expect it'll be pretty much the usual suspects — but with the Syrian puppets who haven't put on masks getting tossed. And there still aren't a lot of people standing up and hollering "We want personal freedom!"... |
Beirut was the first region to go to the polls. Other regions vote over the next three Sundays. Saad Hariri's anti-Syrian bloc had already won nine of the capital's 19 seats in the 128-member Parliament before the vote because they were not contested. The source said candidates on Hariri's list had taken all 10 undecided seats. "This victory is for Rafik Hariri. Today Beirut showed its loyalty to Rafik Hariri," Saad Hariri, 35, told a crowd celebrating outside his villa in the capital. "Today is a victory for democracy... freedom and sovereignty." |