Ex-Mustaqbal official clenches Beirut municipal seat from rival, broad coalition

Al-Mustaqbal Movement’s former Beirut coordinator Mahmoud al-Jamal, a retired brigadier general, has managed to clench a seat on Beirut’s new municipal council, preventing a list comprising most political parties from winning all 24 seats.

Al-Jamal’s win came at the expense of Elie Andrea, a Greek Orthodox member of the rival list who was backed by Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut Elias Audi.

Andrea was the subject of “dismay, especially among Greek Orthodox voters, which led to the redaction of his name by voters due to his bad performance as a member of the outgoing municipal council,” the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Andrea had also faced a social media campaign against him prior to the elections against the backdrop of his dispute with outgoing municipal chief Jamal Itani, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported.

This is the first time in decades that sees Muslims outnumbering Christians in the municipal council. The country’s rival political parties had formed an electoral alliance in Beirut under the excuse of preserving Christian-Muslim parity.

Political rivals such as Hezbollah and the Lebanese Forces came together to form the list, which also comprised the Amal Movement, the Kataeb Party, the Free Patriotic Movement, al-Ahbash, the Tashnag Party, the Hunchak Party, the Progressive Socialist Party and MP Fouad Makhzoumi.

Al-Jamal’s list was backed by MP Nabil Bader and the Jamaa Islamiya and apparently received votes from Mustaqbal supporters.

Four other lists were also formed in the capital, including one by the Beirut Madinati civil society group, which won one third of the capital’s votes in the 2016 polls.

Voter turnout reached only 21% in Beirut, which has historically witnessed similar low turnout levels.