From: ayman@eecs.umich.edu (Ayman I. Kayssi)
Subject: Elections in the South
Date: Fri, 04 Sep 92 13:50:58 EDT
Organization: The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

[ Article crossposted without permission ]
[ Author was UPI ]
[ Posted on Fri, 4 Sep 92 7:03:29 PDT ]

	BEIRUT, Lebanon (UPI) -- Christian areas started a three-day general
strike Friday to protest the government's going ahead with the third
phase of the general elections scheduled in southern Lebanon for Sept.
6.
	Businesses, schools and shops shut down in the Christian districts of
Beirut, Kesrouwan and Jbeil. Only pharmacies and bakeries remained open.
	The strike was called by Christian opposition groups, including the
hard-line Lebanese Forces militia and followers of exiled Gen. Michel
Aoun, who decided to boycott the elections on the ground the results of
the polls would be forged in favor of pro-Syrian candidates.
	The Christians wanted to postpone the polls until Syria had withdrawn
its troops from Beirut and relocated them in the Bekaa Valley in eastern
Lebanon as agreed in the Lebanese peace accord that ended 16 years of
civil war.
	Despite the Christian boycott, preparations to hold the third phase
of the elections continued as thousands of Lebanese Army troops and
policemen were dispatched to southern Lebanon to secure order and
freedom for all voters on Sunday.
	Early Friday, a tank-led Lebanese Army force arrived in the port city
of Sidon, 24 miles south of Beirut, to reinforce Army positions and
protect balloting stations erected near Israel's self-declared 
``security zone.''
	Some 350 Lebanese policemen and troops of the United Nations Interim
Force in southern Lebanon staged joint patrols in the village of Tibnin,
west of the border zone.
	UNIFIL has agreed to provide protection for the zone residents and
escort voters to the balloting stations and back to the passageways on
Sunday.
	Lebanese policemen erected tents to be used as balloting stations
near the passageway of Beit Yahoun to receive voters from the border
zone.
	The Beirut Government decided to place the ballot boxes outside the
border zone to allow the border residents to vote away from any pressure
exerted by the Israelis and their proxy South Lebanon Army militia.
	But SLA commander Gen. Antoine Lahd warned those taking part in
Sunday'selections that residents who crossed the border enclave to cast
their vote would never return to the security zone.
	Two lists and a number of independent candidates are competing for 23
seats in southern Lebanon. One list is headed by former House Speaker
Kamel Al Assad and the other by Nabih Berri, chief of the pro-Syrian
Amal movement.
	Two pro-Iranian Hezbollah candidates and one Muslim Sunni
fundamentalist are also running in the southern region.
	Six Hezbollah candidates and four Sunni fundamentalists have so far
won seats in the first and second phases of the elections that took
place in eastern and northern Lebanon Aug. 23 and Beirut and Mount
Lebanon Aug. 30.

--
Ayman I. Kayssi                               |    ayman@eecs.umich.edu
EECS Department                               +------------------------
University of Michigan                        |          (313) 764-8033