56 Municipalities, 199 Mayors Win Uncontested in Mount Lebanon

Local Editor

Candidates running for the seats of 56 municipal councils and 199 mayors have won uncontested in Mount Lebanon's electorate, Lebanon's interior ministry announced in a statement on Tuesday.

"56 municipal councils have won uncontested, comprising a total number of 579 members," the statement said. "17.89% is the rate of municipalities that have been won uncontested out of 313 municipalities. Also noteworthy, Qornet Shehwan-Ain Aar-Beit al Kik Municipality as well as Mreijeh-Tahweetat al Ghadir-Al Laylaki Municipality witnessed partial uncontested victories, given that the two aforementioned municipalities are consisted of many villages."

While the outcome of the elections in Beirut remained uncertain, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea did not rule out the possibility of holding talks with the Free Patriotic Movement over Beirut's municipal elections. "We have our vision over how Christians can be represented in Beirut and there is still room for holding negotiations with the FPM," Geagea said. "We have a coordinator who is ready at any time to meet with FPM's coordinator," he stated.

Meanwhile, MP Michel Murr said that coalition agreements were reached with allies and foes in several towns in the Metn district and called for holding the municipal elections in a "friendly spirit." Murr told Lebanese daily As-Safir that efforts are underway to achieve more consensuses in other towns if possible.