Aoun: success of municipal elections 'will send a positive signal abroad'

Launching the second round of municipal elections in North Lebanon and Akkar on Sunday morning, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun asserted that the success of this election "will send a positive signal abroad, about the state’s willingness to meet all constitutional deadlines within the allotted time."

During his morning visit to the operations center of the Internal Security Forces, the head of state mentioned a "message, inside Lebanon and outside, signifying that the Lebanese state is back on the right track." He expressed hope for a high turnout, after the first round in Mount Lebanon saw a turnout of about 45%.

The president praised the work of the security forces as well as the Interior and Justice ministries, reaffirming the importance of combating offenses and corruption.

The director general of the Internal Security Forces, General Raed Abdallah, meanwhile, stressed that the visit of the head of state represents "valuable support for law enforcement" while hoping "to successfully carry out the upcoming stages of this election with a high sense of responsibility." Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar assured President Aoun that the "competent authorities benefited from all the necessary means to apply the law impartially." He reaffirmed that "any interference in the electoral process, regardless of the state service, would be categorically rejected." Throughout the day, Hajjar visited various regions where voting operations were taking place, emphasizing the importance of coordination between the security forces and the army to address tensions and scuffles that occurred in some polling stations.

Sethrida Geagea, Gebran Bassil, and Najib Mikati

Several political leaders spoke after voting during the day. Thus, Lebanese Forces MP Sethrida Geagea thanked Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam for their determination to respect constitutional deadlines, while commending the efforts of the Interior Ministry. The parliamentarian who had just cast her ballot in Bcharreh announced that Samir Geagea — her husband and head of the Lebanese Forces — will not vote. He very rarely leaves the large Meerab complex in Kesrouan where he lives, citing security risks.

From Batroun, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), Gebran Bassil, expressed hope for broad citizen participation, stating that "today’s vote is a vote for Batroun, a city resolutely focused on development and unity." "We have brought everyone together, regardless of power dynamics," he also indicated, while the FPM is associated in the city with other Christian formations, against an incomplete list.

Former Prime Minister Nagib Mikati, for his part, called on the residents of Tripoli, his hometown, to participate massively in the election. Speaking in front of the polling station of the public-school Hassan Hajje in the city, he said: "This competition aims to serve the city. My choice was not for a single list but for competent individuals from different lists, taking into account Tripoli’s social and sectarian diversity, as well as the presence of women. I selected competent, ethical, and rational profiles capable of forming a coherent municipal council." It should be noted that one of the multiple lists competing in Tripoli is supported by deputy and businessman Ihab Matar, an ally of Mikati, one of the heavyweights of Lebanon's second-largest city.