Polling peaceful despite minor scattered clashes

Beirut: Millions of Lebanese thronged polling stations on Sunday to elect their 18th parliament in an election described as a turning point in the tiny Arab country's history with potential implications for the region as a whole.

The high voter turnout, as much as 60 per cent in some districts before polling closed at 7pm, surprised observers and candidates alike. "It is unprecedented," said New TV.

Some 55,000 soldiers and policeman have been deployed to ensure security during the polls, which pits the pro-Western March 14 coalition, led by Sa'ad Hariri and backed by the US and Saudi Arabia, against the Hezbollah-led opposition, which aligns closely with Syria.

Hariri voted in the upmarket district of Ras Beirut and sounded upbeat about the "festival of democracy".

Activists waving flags of rival parties from their car windows roamed the streets and temporary street corner stalls set up by some candidates served refreshments to voters while also passing on small chits of paper carrying their names.

The relative calm which accompanied the polling process also came as a surprise. Some observers had been apprehending clashes and many people had stayed home on Saturday and early in the day yesterday anticipating violence. But the calm and the widespread deployment of tens of thousands of army and security personnel encouraged residents to head to the polling booths in large numbers.

There were some minor incidents nevertheless in certain areas where contests were especially close like the southern port city of Sidon and the northern town of Zgherta.

Witnesses said the army had to fire in the air to break up a fist-fight between groups of youths supporting Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and key opposition member Osama Sa'ad.

But, in general, the elections were peaceful and hugely encouraging, according to former US president Jimmy Carter, who is leading a large international group of observers. Touring the Ashrafiyeh polling centre, in eastern Beirut, he said he did not "have any concerns over the conduct of the elections", adding, "I have concerns over the acceptance of the results by all the major parties".

The results are expected to be out today but not many are ready to hazard a prediction as to the winners. Most public opinion polls however indicated the opposition, led by Hezbollah and Michel Aoun, might secure a slim majority.

The opposition again yesterday accused the President Michel Sulaiman and the head of the Maronite Church of interfering in the elections to favour the March 14 coalition.

As he cast his vote in his hometown Amchit, in Jbail district, President Sulaiman denied the accusations. "I support all the candidates," he told reporters.

He said "the biggest danger to Lebanon is the Israeli enemy," in response to a question about the statement issued on Saturday by Cardinal Sfier, who said a victory for the opposition would "threaten the very essence of the Lebanese entity".