Lebanon: Lack of unity costs opposition in polls

zawya

Authorities are big winners with 40 of 48 municipal council seats in Metn

Tuesday, May 04, 2004

BEIRUT: The opposition’s less than stellar performance in Sunday’s Mount
Lebanon elections was attributed to its failure to forge robust alliances
when facing pro-government candidates, according to observers.

The authorities, represented by former Interior Minister Michel Murr, the
current Metn MP, were the big winners, securing nearly 40 municipal councils
out of 48 municipalities in the Metn, which is considered Murr’s turf.
Similarly, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt grabbed most Chouf villages,
including Deir al-Qamar, where National Liberal Party leader Dory Chamoun
won the mayor’s seat.

The opposition also lost in Jbeil, where the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM)
formed an alliance with the National Bloc, which considers Jbeil its
headquarters, as founder Raymond Edde was from that area.

Hizbullah grabbed 68 percent of the votes in the southern suburbs of Beirut,
according to unofficial election results. Official results were still being
finalized as The Daily Star went to press.

But the opposition was successful in Sin al-Fil, Baskinta, Zouk Mikael and
Tabarja, while FPM media Elias Zoghbi said that FPM candidates won seats in
different towns and villages, mainly in Baabdat, and the qadas of Jbeil and
Kesrouan.

Observers said these results should compel some opposition parties not to
overestimate their clout and power.

Metn MP Pierre Gemayel told The Daily Star on Monday that the election
should serve as a lesson to some “almighty opposition parties” that they are
simply not that powerful, in reference to the FPM.

But other political observers chalked off the opposition’s failure to a lack
of unity, noting the defeats in towns and villages were there was no
cooperation among the different parties, such as in Jounieh, Jbeil, Shiyah
and Beit Chabab.

“The lack of cooperation among opposition groups in all areas under a clear
and unified political slogan was the major reason for their unsuccessful
representation in the municipal councils,” said Fadia Kiwan, a professor of
Political Science at Universite Saint Joseph.

For some opposition groups, the defeat was due to the betrayal of their
partners.

The FPM blamed former President Amin Gemayel for betraying the opposition
groups, describing Gemayel’s move as a “pre-calculated strategy” for the
2005 parliamentary election.

“Gemayel betrayed us as usual and cooperated with the government-supported
lists to win more seats in municipal councils and to be prepared for the
2005 parliamentary elections,” Zoghbi said.

Amin Gemayel’s son, Pierre, denied the allegations and said no cooperation
between the Phalange Party opposition faction and the government was made
during the municipal election on May 2.

He said the Phalange Party opposition faction never considered the FPM as a
“competitor and did not regard General Michel Aoun as an enemy.”

“If we cooperated with the government, particularly with Murr, then let the
FPM name the areas where we did so,” Gemayel said. “When the FPM are
cooperating with (former MP) Najah Wakim and Hizbullah, is that not
polishing their cooperation with the government?”

The FPM formed a coalition with Hizbullah in Haret Hreik, a southern suburb
of Beirut and is allying itself with Wakim in the Beirut elections next
Sunday.

Gemayel also denied FPM claims that the party withdrew from Beit Chabab,
accusing the FPM of “rejecting the Phalange Party’s proposals for the
mayor’s seat.”

“They want to lead the battle alone, which they are directing against Amin
Gemayel and not Murr and against some opposition groups and not the
government,” he said.

A source in the Lebanese Forces said the results of the municipal election
could have been better had all opposition parties cooperated.
“We did not have conflicting positions like other parties by cooperating
with a group in Jbeil and its opponents in Jounieh, like other parties did.”

Some opposition groups justified their unsuccessful battle by the bribes
offered to voters.

Kiwan, who is also a member of the National Bloc and a candidate who ran for
the Jaj municipal election in Jbeil and failed, said that some $300 were
paid to voters as they stood at the voting booths.

Zoghbi said some Armenians were used by the government to win the municipal
battle, such as in Bsalim, where over 150 Armenians were registered on the
village’s electoral lists few weeks before the election day.

Nada Raad Daily Star staff