A Lebanese woman votes at a polling station in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon, on May 4, 2025. Lebanon's municipal and local elections began on Sunday in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, marking the first such elections in nine years after several postponements. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)
BEIRUT, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's municipal and local elections began on Sunday in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, marking the first such elections in nine years after several postponements.
Voting took place under tight security enforced by the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces, with polling stations open from 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) until 7 p.m. local time.
According to the state-run National News Agency, 9,321 candidates, including 8,142 men and 1,179 women, submitted nominations for municipal and local positions in Mount Lebanon.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun closely monitored the electoral process, visiting government ministries and the national broadcaster Tele Liban. During the trips, he reviewed the security, judicial, and media measures that were in place to ensure the elections proceed properly in Mount Lebanon.
Aoun expressed hope that the elections would "proceed smoothly and without incidents," noting that security agencies had received "strict instructions to intervene immediately to address any irregularities or attempts at fraud."
The president also affirmed the state's commitment to safeguarding citizens' right to freely express their will at the ballot box.
The municipal and local elections will be held in four rounds, taking place every Sunday throughout May. This follows a three-year extension of the municipal and local councils' mandates beyond their legal terms, after the last elections in 2016 were repeatedly postponed by parliament due to logistical, administrative, economic, and security challenges. ■
A Lebanese woman votes at a polling station in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon, on May 4, 2025. Lebanon's municipal and local elections began on Sunday in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, marking the first such elections in nine years after several postponements. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)
People line up to vote at a polling station in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon, on May 4, 2025. Lebanon's municipal and local elections began on Sunday in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, marking the first such elections in nine years after several postponements. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)
A Lebanese woman votes at a polling station in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon, on May 4, 2025. Lebanon's municipal and local elections began on Sunday in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, marking the first such elections in nine years after several postponements. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)
A Lebanese woman votes at a polling station in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon, on May 4, 2025. Lebanon's municipal and local elections began on Sunday in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, marking the first such elections in nine years after several postponements. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)
A Lebanese woman votes at a polling station in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon, on May 4, 2025. Lebanon's municipal and local elections began on Sunday in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, marking the first such elections in nine years after several postponements. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)
People line up to vote at a polling station in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon, on May 4, 2025. Lebanon's municipal and local elections began on Sunday in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, marking the first such elections in nine years after several postponements. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)
