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Sunday 11 May 2025 17:30:21
The second round of Lebanon’s municipal and local elections got off to a rocky start in the northern regions of North Lebanon and Akkar on Sunday, with sporadic scuffles, procedural disruptions, and reported violations.
While the broader security situation remained relatively calm, scattered incidents across several towns highlighted persistent challenges facing the democratic process.
In the town of Anfeh, tensions flared when the head of the polling station clashed with a female voter who was using her phone while voting. Internal Security Forces stepped in quickly to defuse the situation.
Elsewhere in the north, scenes of unrest played out in multiple areas. In Al-Safira, located in the Minyeh–Dinniyeh district, voting was suspended after a brawl broke out in a women-only polling room. Chairs were smashed during the altercation, prompting army units to intervene and restore order.
In Barkayel, a fistfight erupted at the Rafik Hariri School polling center, while the voting process at Tikrit Public School in Akkar was briefly halted after disputes erupted in the school’s courtyard. The military was again called in to manage the situation.
Meanwhile, in Kfarshita, Zgharta district, tensions rose after a voter was barred from voting due to an issue with his identification. And in Qarqaf, Akkar, a polling center was forced to close for thirty minutes after rival supporters clashed. A similar incident was reported in Akkar's Bayno village, where the army stepped in to break up another confrontation.
Concerns Over Transparency and Voter Pressure
Beyond the physical altercations, several violations of election rules were flagged by watchdogs. In Koura, the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) reported a breach of ballot secrecy after the head of polling station No. 3 was seen entering the booth with a voter.
In Halba, LADE also criticized members of the “Halba Unity” list for distributing candidate lists inside the public school polling station, calling it a form of voter pressure.
Delays were also recorded in Kfarsghab, Zgharta district, where the opening of a polling center was postponed for 45 minutes. The delay was caused by a man blocking the road leading to the center. Army personnel later intervened to reopen the path. Additional disturbances were reported outside the site.
LADE has reportedly documented multiple violations across several polling centers, including an incident in Minyeh involving an unauthorized interaction between a polling station chief and a delegate from an electoral list.
In Miriata, the non-governmental organization also reported what it described as “serious violations.”
According to the National News Agency (NNA), State Security forces in Chekka detained an individual accused of seizing the ID cards of a man and his wife in an attempt to coerce them into voting for a particular list. The man who filed the complaint was also arrested.
Interior Ministry Reports Over 300 Complaints
The Interior Ministry said it had received 307 complaints related to the election by 1:00 p.m. These included 253 administrative issues, 18 security incidents, and 36 complaints submitted through the media and social networks.
The highest number of complaints came from Akkar (41%), followed by Tripoli (25.5%), according to the ministry’s figures.
Staffing Issues and Voter Complaints
Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar said that additional polling staff had been deployed in response to reported shortages, while vowing that all voter complaints and procedural violations would be addressed promptly.
“We have called in extra employees to fill any gaps,” Al-Hajjar told reporters during an inspection tour in Tripoli.
Concerns have also surfaced regarding access permits for electoral delegates and observers. Al-Hajjar said his ministry is actively following up on all complaints via its hotline and that no violation would be ignored.
“A meeting with the governor will be held to address any breach, regardless of who is behind it,” he said. “No complaint will go unanswered. I’m personally in the operations room following every development.”
He underlined the importance of transparency, emphasizing that political delegates must be allowed to carry out their duties and that media representatives are permitted inside polling centers for monitoring.
“The decision is clear: the doors are open. Everything is happening under the eyes of the public and the candidates. No one has anything to hide — nor is that permitted.”
Al-Hajjar also met with disability rights advocate Silvana Lakkis, reaffirming the state’s commitment to ensuring people with disabilities are able to vote freely and with dignity.
“This issue is being followed up closely,” he said.
