From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
Date: 10 Sep 92 15:06 PDT
Subject: LEBANON: Political crisis looms as
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1473900018:000:4553
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Sep 10 15:06:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: LEBANON: Political crisis looms as 

/* Written 12:10 am  Sep 10, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: LEBANON: Political crisis looms as Christians boycott polls


saida, lebanon, sep 7 (ips/dounia hagen) -- opposition christian
parties boycotted voting in southern lebanon on sunday as the
third and final round of voting in general elections to fill seats
in the new 128-seat national assembly was completed.

a result was not expected to be announced before tuesday or
late monday. with most christians choosing not to vote because of
alleged election rigging, and to protest against the presence of
syrian troops, muslim fundamentalists had been expected to make a
near sweep of the poll.

a massive christian boycott also marked the first and second
stages of the elections where 96 deputies were elected for the
national assembly in central and northern lebanon.

the fundamentalists won 14 seats in the southern region in
previous two rounds of voting last month, and were expected to
capture four more from the final round. twenty-three seats in the
128-seat national assembly were at stake.

more than 50 percent of the 500,000 eligible voters cast
ballots in the southern cities of said, tyre and nabatiyeh and
surrounding villages.

but in the self-declared israeli ''security zone'' people were
barred from voting by the israeli army. the israeli-backed allied
militia, the south lebanon army (sla), closed roads leading to the
polling stations preventing 72,000 eligible voters from going to
the polls.

the syrian-backed government had stepped up security in those
regions where shi'ite muslims are in the majority and from where
attacks have frequently been launched by the israelis.

according to the governor of saida, halim fayad, ''the number
of lebanese soldiers was increased to 10,000 in the lebanese army
controlled-area, while 2,500 men of the security forces were
deployed in the unifil-controlled zone''.

while most christians in saida, jezzine and the israeli-
controlled area boycotted the polls, in the muslim shi'ite
community, election fever was noticeable in most villages of the
south.

the shi'ite movement amal has formed a tactical alliance with
the pro-iranian fundamentalist organisation hezbollah. the aim was
to form a strong anti-israeli coalition in the south.

on a very hot day in southern lebanon, with the temperature
reaching above 35 celsius, heavy traffic and packed convoys
headed south from beirut carrying green flags of amal and black
flags of hezbollah taking voters to their hometowns and villages.
(more/ips)

lebanon: political crisis looms as christians boycott polls(2-e)

lebanon: political crisis (2)

''in the predominantly shi'ite cities of nabatieh, saida and
sour, the participation rate was between 50 and 65 percent, but it
remained less than six percent in christian jezzine,'' said fayad.

responding to the charges of election rigging, fayad admitted
to ''a number of administrative errors'', adding that ''many
electoral lists remained incomplete, ballot boxes were opened late
in the day and sometimes people had to queue up to two hours
before they could reach the ballot boxes''.

in a show of protest, two christian leaders fares bueiz, the
minister of foreign affairs and george saade, the minister for
post and televommunication, resigned last week.

former minister (of what) joseph el hashem made it clear that
''the drop out of the christian leaders was not aimed at
facilitating other christian candidates to be elected, but was a
clear move against the holding of elections when syrians and
israelis are still deployed on the lebanese soil''.

except for the shi'ite villages in the south, the
participation rate was very low. in beirut, 10 percent cast their
votes; 13 percent in northern metn, and a record low of 0.55
percent in jbeil.

the massive christian boycott, charges of election rigging, the
entry of the iranian-backed hezbollah party are foreboding signs,
warned el hashem. ''we are afraid this is the beginning of the end
for the state of lebanon and the prelude of the country's
partition.''

in addition to the deterioration of the economy, the country
faces a grave political crisis. the biggest problem for the
government will be to bring the christians back into the political
process to avoid further disintegration. (end/ips/np/dh)


Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon