BEIRUT (Xinhua) – The second round of Lebanon’s municipal and local elections began on Sunday in the governorates of Akkar and North Lebanon, following the first round held on May 4 in the Mount Lebanon Governorate.
Voting took place under tight security enforced by the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces, with polling stations open from 7:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) until 7:00 p.m. local time.
According to the state-run National News Agency, 3,569 candidates submitted nominations for 134 municipal and 210 local positions in Akkar. Meanwhile, 3,569 candidates submitted nominations for 153 municipal and 462 local positions in North Lebanon, according to unofficial statistical reports.
Overseeing the launch of the second round by visiting the Internal Security Forces’ operations room, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that successful elections “will send a positive message abroad regarding the state’s commitment to holding all constitutional deadlines on time.”
He also stressed the need to “combat bribery and violations swiftly and decisively,” highlighting the media’s role in helping expose irregularities.
Interior and Municipalities Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar told reporters in the operations room that the electoral process was launched “smoothly and calmly,” with no security incidents having been reported.
“A bribery case was detected by the State Security agency and is currently under judicial investigation,” he said.
Lebanon’s municipal and local elections, the first such elections in nine years after several postponements due to logistical, administrative, economic and security challenges, are scheduled to be held in four rounds, taking place every Sunday throughout May. The third round will take place in the governorates of Beirut, Bekaa, and Baalbek-Hermel, and the fourth in the South Governorate as well as the Nabatieh Governorate.
The elections follow a three-year extension of the municipal and local councils’ mandates beyond their legal terms.