A child placing a ballot in the box on behalf of his father in Hadath (Baabda), during the municipal elections on May 4, 2025. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient Today.)
On the eve of the highly anticipated municipal elections in Beirut, Beqaa, and Baalbek-Hermel, Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar supervised the distribution of ballot boxes from the central operations room at the Interior Ministry on Saturday.
Sunday's election will be the third stage of the municipal elections in Lebanon, delayed by three years due to successive crises in the country. The first two stages took place in Mount Lebanon and then in North Lebanon on May 4th and 11th, respectively.
In South Lebanon, a region targeted by occasional Israeli strikes despite the November 2024 cease-fire, the election will be held on Saturday, May 24th, coinciding with the commemoration of Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000.
In Beirut, parity in question
In the capital, six lists will compete, with concerns about Christian-Muslim parity within the 24-member municipal council as a backdrop. Candidates will vie for the votes of approximately 198,005 voters, including 133,304 Muslims and 41,849 Christians, as well as 22,852 votes from the diaspora.
In this battle, the list "Beirut Unites Us" brings together several Lebanese parties, sometimes rivals in political life (Lebanese Forces, Kataeb, Free Patriotic Movement, Hezbollah, Amal, Macharih, Progressive Socialist Party, Tashnag, and MP Fouad Makhzoumi). The main opposing list is "Beirut Madinati," supported by change deputies and the National Bloc, which hopes to create a surprise similar to the list bearing the same name in 2016 that achieved a commendable score.
A third list is "Beirut Loves You," supported by the Jamaa Islamiya, and a fourth, under the name "Sons of the City," was formed by a former Beirut councilor, Roula Ajouz.
The movement "Citizens and Citizens in a State," led by former Minister Charbel Nahas, also formed a list stemming from the protest. The last list, "Beirut Our Capital," is incomplete and represents some Sunni figures.
Despite the difference in voter numbers between Christians and Muslims in the city, parity in the municipal council has always concerned political leaders. On Saturday, voices were once again raised on this issue.
In a message on the eve of the elections, the head of the Lebanese Forces (LF), Samir Geagea, stated that "the municipal elections in the capital are of great importance because they reflect coexistence, with Beirut being the country's facade." He urged supporters and sympathizers to vote for "Beirut Unites Us," encouraging a high voter turnout. Voter participation rates are indeed another concern in the capital, where they are typically quite low.
Zahle and Baalbeck
Geagea also mentioned the elections in Zahle, expressing confidence that "the city will move forward as it always has." In the Beqaa's chief city, the LF formed their own list facing another supported by the Popular Bloc of Myriam Skaff, the Kataeb, and independent deputies. The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM, Aounist) had not yet decided its stance as of Friday. The battle promises to be tight in the city.
In the Baalbek-Hermel province, ballot boxes were distributed Saturday morning under the supervision of the governor Bachir Khodr. In this region, which suffered significant damage during the intense war between Israel and Hezbollah from September 23 to November 27, 2024, nearly 300,000 voters will vote for 76 municipal councils, knowing that 22 councils have already been elected by default.
In the city of Baalbek, an intense battle is expected between the list "Development and Loyalty," supported by Amal and Hezbollah, and "Baalbek Madinati," born from the protest.
In an interview with the state-run National News Agency (NNA), Governor Khodr highlighted the slow process of distributing ballot boxes and equipment in Baalbek, assuring that there were no reported issues on the ground.