Latest polls give Hezbollah slight edge

Beirut: The latest polls, which were released on Thursday, have given the Hezbollah-led opposition a slight edge in the Lebanese elections that are slated for Sunday.

The opposition will win 65 seats out of a total of 128 parliament seats, according to a number of surveys published by the Arabic daily As Safir.

The polls indicate the pro-Western alliance - also known as the March 14 Coalition - which has a majority of 69 seats in the outgoing parliament, will find its strength reduced to 63 seats.

However, the newspaper and other analysts said that a number of candidates "will probably change their alliances after the election."

The paper added that some members of the opposition as well as the March 14 ruling majority were "mulling the formation of a third block that will represent President Michel Sulaiman," who is expected to play a key role in keeping a political balance in the sharply divided country.

In a statement released yesterday marking Internal Security Forces Day, Sulaiman said he didn't expect a clear winner in the elections.