Lebanon’s Hizbollah and allies lose majority in election
Blow to country’s most formidable political and military force as independents make gains
Iran-backed group Hizbollah and its allies have lost their majority in Lebanon’s parliamentary election, in a surprise blow to the country’s most formidable political and military force.
Hizbollah and its two major allies secured at least 44 seats, down from 47 in the 2018 poll. Some of the other politicians it relies on to make up its current 71 seat majority have also lost their seats. No one party or bloc has emerged as an outright winner, raising the possibility of further deadlock in the crisis-hit country.
Independents — many of whom emerged from a civil society movement that called for political change — and parties opposed to Hizbollah and its allies secured at least 13 of the 128 seats, according to the official tally. Several parties said they would appeal.
These are the first elections since the collapse of the country’s economy in 2019 and a deadly 2020 port explosion in Beirut. Lebanon’s political class has so far evaded accountability for its role in bringing the country to its knees.
The new government must negotiate economic reforms needed to unlock billions of dollars in loans and aid to steer Lebanon out of its economic crisis. But analysts say Sunday’s results could further fragment an already deeply divided parliament, leading to political paralysis at a critical time for the country.
Together with the Free Patriotic Movement, the Maronite Christian party of President Michel Aoun; Amal, the Shia militia-turned-party, as well as some MPs in minority parties; Hizbollah had held a majority of at least 71 seats since 2018.
Hizbollah and Amal retained the 27 seats allocated to Shia Muslims under the country’s confessional system, despite nascent discontent within its traditional strongholds. But the allies they relied on for their majority — the FPM and other individuals — lost some seats.
Two of the new independents were elected in Christian and Druze districts in southern Lebanon that have traditionally been dominated by Hizbollah allies, with one of them ousting the deputy speaker of parliament.
The Christian Lebanese Forces party, led by former warlord Samir Geagea, gained several seats. The Lebanese Forces is a fierce critic of Hizbollah and Geagea enjoys close ties with Iran’s regional rival, Saudi Arabia.
The emergence of independents will make it even less likely that lawmakers will be able to work together to pass laws to kick-start Lebanon’s recovery, analysts say. “What you do have is a more fragmented parliament . . . Together, they do not see eye to eye on many things . . . But they will have an important role to play collectively,” said Maha Yahya, director of the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Center.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged the newly elected lawmakers to act quickly to agree a government “because what we are going through cannot withstand bickering at the expense of priorities.”
The Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections, an independent election observer, said it documented more than 3,500 violations, including barely conscious voters carried into polling stations on stretchers. It said their monitors were threatened and beaten by members of various ruling parties, including Hizbollah, Amal and the Lebanese Forces.