Dozens of dentists in the hall of the House of Doctors during the union elections, Jan. 9, 2022. (Credit: Yara Germany/OLJ)
BEIRUT — Roland Younes has been elected as the president of the Order of Dentists, prevailing over the former president of the order, Elias Maalouf, L'Orient's correspondent at the scene reported.
Here's what we know:
• Hundreds of dentists cast their ballots in two rounds of voting Sunday, in the second vote scheduled for the Order in two months, selecting nine council members and the president. The first election for the order, held at the end of November, was invalidated because of problems related to the counting of votes and the destruction of some ballot boxes.
• Younes received the highest number of votes in the first round, with 740 votes in his favor. On his list, Antoine Choufani, Pascale Habre and Tony Harb were elected members of the council. For his part, Maalouf was elected member with 601 votes, along with his running mates, Nadim Abou Jaoudé, Samer Rifaï, Élie Hayek, Ziad Moujaès and Philippe el-Hage.
• In the second round of voting to determine the president, Younes receiver 702 votes and Maalouf 459.
• Maalouf had been accused by his opponents of being politically supported by Amal and Hezbollah, since his list includes a member of the Amal movement, L'Orient-Le Jour reported, noting that Maalouf rejected this characterization, saying he was "independent but open to dialogue with everyone, both politicians and civil society." Younes, who described himself to L'Orient-Le Jour as representing "the opposition, the forces of change and the movement of October 17," considered both close to the Lebanese Forces, the Free Patriotic Movement and the newer Sabaa party.