Reports: Ruling Bloc Wins Lebanese Elections

Hezbollah-Led Opposition Suffers Narrow Loss

Though the official results won’t be available until some time on Monday, multiple sources are confirming that the ruling Sunni-bloc has won the Lebanese elections, narrowly defeating the Hezbollah bloc in an election that saw record turnout.

Members of the ruling March 14 bloc have touted the victory, while Hezbollah officials and those close to the party’s Christian allies say they will accept the results as the will of the voters. International observers say that they have no concerns over the conduct of the elections.

So far it is unclear how large the margin of victory is, though previously it had been suggested that whichever bloc won would have to lure members of the rival faction into a broader coalition to stand a chance of building a stable government.

The vote is likely a major victory for the US, as Vice President Joe Biden had visited the nation just weeks before the election threatening to withdraw American aid if the opposition won. Polls had predicted the ruling bloc would lose a close vote.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.