LEBANON: Anti-Syrian Christian leader Michel Aoun was heading for victory against rival Christian politicians yesterday in the most crucial round of Lebanon's parliamentary elections.
The defeat of several prominent Christian figures opposed to Syria's role in Lebanon will be sure to complicate the 128-seat parliament's task of charting the country's new political course.
The elections, held over four weekends ending on June 19th, are set to usher in a parliament with most legislators opposed to Syria for the first time since the 1975-1990 civil war.
Unofficial partial counts showed candidates backed by Gen Aoun set to clinch 15 out of 16 seats up for grabs in yesterday's third round of the elections in the Maronite Christian heartland of North Metn and Byblos-Kesrwan north of Beirut.
But the candidates of the general, who fell out with other anti-Syrian leaders after returning in May from 14 years in exile, looked set to be beaten by a list backed by Druze chieftain Walid Jumblatt in the Baabda-Aley district, where 11 seats are being contested.
Mr Jumblatt's list won all eight seats in the mainly Druze Shouf constituency.
The Hizbullah guerrilla group also seemed likely to increase its share in parliament with six members winning seats in the eastern Baalbek-Hermel district.