Fight in polling stations in Northern Lebanon, suspects arrested in Akkar

The election day proved tense in several polling stations in Northern Lebanon and Akkar on Sunday, where municipal elections were taking place, prompting Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar, on a tour in Tripoli, to assert that security forces "will not hesitate" to act and make arrests.

The army and police, in fact, had to separate several fights and intervene multiple times throughout the day, notably in Fneideq, Akkar, where a dispute and a crowd movement occurred in a women’s polling station. A soldier trying to separate those involved was "attacked," while another person was injured with a knife.

To ease tensions, an army commando patrol was dispatched to the scene and several suspects were arrested. Voting continued uninterrupted despite these tensions. Incidents also occurred between delegates of rival lists in Berqael, Akkar, reported by our correspondent, and in Sfireh, in the Minyeh-Dennieh district, where the election was temporarily interrupted by a dispute in the women's polling station, which escalated into a brawl during which chairs were broken.

Ensuring public order

In Bakhaoun, in the Dennieh region, where an initial incident was reported in the morning, the situation remained tense throughout the day, according to our journalist on-site, Lyana Alameddine. Scuffles occurred in front of polling stations, where the Internal Security Forces (ISF) were trying to regulate the flow of voters and issues related to the presence of delegates from various competing lists, supported by two MPs from the Samad family. A 29-year-old woman, Rim Zaarouf, who had been waiting for more than an hour and a half to vote, lamented these frequent disputes which disrupted the electoral process. "Such incidents should not be happening," she emphasized. And outside another polling station, reserved for men, a delegate denounces irregularities, notably that "three deceased people" had voted for the rival list.

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Additionally, according to reports from the state-run National News Agency (NNA, official), a fight occurred in the polling station of Bhanine school, between supporters of two rival lists. The army and police intervened to separate those involved and restore calm. In Mar Touma, another dispute required security forces to temporarily suspend the electoral process to ease tensions.

500 Complaints

Midway through the day, from Tripoli, Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar commented on these tensions, emphasizing that law enforcement and the army "are working to limit" these incidents. He called on voters to "stop" these tensions, asserting that "security forces will not hesitate to intervene and arrest anyone guilty of violating or disturbing public order."

"The ministry monitors the developments of election day minute by minute across all regions, and any infraction or violation is immediately dealt with," added Hajjar, who indicated his ministry is handling all complaints received via the emergency hotline, especially concerning the accreditation of list delegates. During his press briefing, Hajjar sharply silenced the governor of Northern Lebanon, Ramzi Nohra, who was commenting on his statements, retorting that he was "speaking." This exchange was widely covered on social media.

Minister Hajjar also mentioned the lack of staff in some polling stations, which were replaced by officials called in for support. Videos and testimonies suggesting electoral fraud and vote-buying circulated in several localities in Akkar, accompanied by an exchange of accusations between different parties, according to our correspondent. These elements, whose authenticity has not yet been verified, have been forwarded to competent security services for investigation. In Bakhaoun, one list accused the other of manipulating votes to insert ballots in the names of deceased persons.

In the afternoon, Ahmad Hajjar assured in a press conference at the ministry that the number of complaints filed during today’s election "does not exceed 500, most of which are administrative." As for incidents that occurred in certain localities, "their number was high due to the intensity of the battle and excessive enthusiasm," he added.

Earlier in the day, the ministry indicated that complaints were mainly reported in Akkar and Tripoli. 18 of them were related to "security" issues, while over 250 were administrative, like in Btermaz, where the start of voting had to be delayed due to a lack of voting booths.

For its part, the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) denounced, in a series of social media posts based on observations from its representatives in the region, numerous infractions, particularly regarding electoral silence and respect for the secrecy of the vote. The association noted, among other things, that media accompanied MP Tony Frangieh behind the booth in Zghorta, that some polling stations allowed voters to vote with a copy of their ID rather than the original version, and that "pressures and intimidation" were exerted on voters.