Arsal Municipal Chief Asks for Postponement of Town Elections
The municipal chief of the northeastern town of Arsal Ali al-Hujeiri, voiced calls on Monday for the postponement of the municipal elections in the town, citing the unstable security situation and polling stations that have been situated in remote areas, the Kuwaiti al-Anba daily reported.
“The security situation in Arsal does not allow the election process, particularly since the Interior Ministry has set, in collaboration with the Lebanese army, six polling stations two of which are four kilometers away from the residence of voters, which will affect their enthusiasm,” he told the newspaper in an interview.
“Each moment Arsal is subject to a bloody setback,” he added.
“Elections in Arsal are not as easy as believed. Although the Lebanese army is deterring armed groups and terrorists from advancing into the outskirts, but fears linger over vehicles and motorcycles that roam the town with strangers on board. The latest bloody incident that led to the death of several armed intruders is evidence.”
Arsal lies 12 kilometers from the border with Syria and has been used as a conduit for weapons and rebels to enter the neighboring country, while also serving as a refuge for people fleeing the conflict.
Militants from the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State groups are entrenched in mountainous regions along the porous Lebanese-Syrian border.
The Lebanese army regularly shells their positions and Hizbullah fighters have engaged in clashes with them on the Syrian side of the border.
In August 2014, the IS and al-Nusra waged a major attack and overran Arsal in the wake of the arrest of a senior militant.
The two groups withdrew after deadly battles with the army, but took with them around 30 hostages from the Lebanese army and police of whom four were eventually executed.
Sixteen were released in December 2015, while nine soldiers are still held captive by the IS.
D.A.
M.T.
Source: Naharnet
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