From left to right: the caïmacam of Batroun, Roger Toubiya, the new president of the Federation, Roger Yazbeck, and the vice-president Rima Farah. (Credit: Michel Hallak.)
BEIRUT — The president of the municipality of Kour, Roger Yazbek, a card-carrying member of the Lebanese Forces, was elected president of the Federation of Municipalities of the Batroun district, with the support of the LF, the Kataeb party, and Majd Harb, son of former MP Boutros Harb.
He was elected with 17 votes, against 10 for the outgoing president, Marcelino al-Hirk, who was nevertheless re-elected as head of the municipality of the city of Batroun itself.
Rima Farah, the elected representative of Kfarhilda, was elected vice president of the Federation.
Reacting to this election in a statement, the regional branch of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM, Aounist), opponents of the LF and the Kataeb on the Christian political scene, denounced malpractices during the vote. The FPM expressed its "objection to the voting process for the elections within the Federation of Municipalities of Batroun district, where the LF insist on allowing municipal presidents to vote with papers taken out of their pockets" and accused Samir Geagea's party of "buying votes."
In the neighboring district of Koura, the mayor of Amioun, Malik Fares, was elected president of the local Federation of Municipalities. He will be seconded by Rabih al-Ayoubi.
The municipal elections took place in the districts of Batroun and Koura in North Lebanon on May 11.