Change and Reform Says Zahle, Beirut Polls Show Importance of Christian 'Unity'

Sunday's municipal and mayoral elections in Beirut and Zahle highlighted the importance of “rapprochement” between the Christian political parties, and equal Christian-Muslim power-sharing, the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc said on Tuesday.

“In Beirut, we highlighted the importance of being present in the capital. The lesson we draw from Beirut's elections is that some parties must not remain excluded from decision-making and that we must come together in order to achieve change,” MP Ibrahim Kanaan announced after the bloc's weekly meeting.

The Beirutis List -- which comprised candidates fielded by Change and Reform, al-Mustaqbal movement and other parties that are represented in government and parliament – achieved a difficult win against the Beirut Madinati civic campaign in the capital's municipal polls on Sunday, amid a low voter turnout.

Turning to Zahle, the bloc said “the agreement that occurred between the Christian political parties proves that unity is strength and that representation in state institutions requires the unification of all wills and a joint vision.”

“We must embark on work in Zahle and to focus on development in the city,” the bloc added.

“These elections prove that Zahle's national influence will reflect itself across Lebanon and there is unity reflected in the political vision and projects,” it said.

“We congratulate Zahle and its residents on the democratic scene, which proved that Zahle's will is bigger than any wall trying to separate between its families and parties,” Change and Reform added.

A coalition of candidates fielded by the Free Patriotic Movement, the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb Party has emerged victorious against lists backed by Popular Bloc chief Myriam Skaff and MP Nicolas Fattoush in Zahle's municipal polls on Sunday.

The municipal polls are the first electoral test for the FPM and the LF since they signed their political rapprochement agreement in June last year.

Y.R.