More than 500 candidates belonging to different religious sects were running for the 128 seats in the Lebanese parliament. The vote was hailed by many Lebanese politicians, including President Michel Aoun of the FPM, who had urged citizens to participate. Fewer than half of Lebanon’s registered voters, 49.2%, cast their ballots, according to the country’s Interior Ministry, compared to 54% in 2009. Since its last elections, Lebanon has faced economic and social upheavals, violence, and a refugee crisis due to the Syrian civil war. More than 1 million refugees were sent to the small country that has a population estimated at only around 4.5 million.

Source: Daily News Egypt May 07, 2018 18:11 UTC