Political campaigns in Lebanon are scheduled to end at midnight Friday, 48 hours ahead of the parliamentary polls scheduled for Sunday in all governorates, as the country’s security apparatuses mobilize to ensure the safety of elections.
The Lebanese Army leadership attaches great importance to preserving security and stability on Election Day.
“The Army Command confirms its readiness to prohibit any party from taking advantage of the critical circumstances that the country is facing in an attempt to undermine security,” Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) said on Thursday.
Interior Minister Nohad al-Mashnouq said that all security apparatuses were fully mobilized, adding that between 20,000 and 30,000 military personnel will be deployed on Sunday across all areas.
Five connected operation rooms will be coordinating with the Defense Ministry to secure the electoral process.
On Sunday, around 3,648,717 registered voters will be eligible to choose from among more than 900 candidates competing for 128 parliamentary seats. Voters will cast their ballots in 6,793 polling stations and 1,880 polling centers, spread across all governorates.
A number of local and international observers will monitor the elections.
Researcher at Information International Mohammed Shamseddine told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Cabinet allocated $50 million for parliamentary elections. The last elections held in 2009 had cost the government only $7 million.
The rise in expenditures in the 2018 polls is mainly due to a larger number of polling stations and the voting of Lebanese expatriates in 39 countries.
The government also needed an additional budget for its electoral campaign to explain the new electoral law, which is based on a proportional representation system, contrary to the 2009 elections, which were held based on a majority system.
On Thursday, candidates running on 77 lists increased their media appearances before the period of silence at midnight Friday.
Head of the Electoral Supervisory Committee Judge Nadim Abdul Malak reminded parliamentary hopefuls and media outlets to observe the period of pre-election silence in line with the law, NNA said.
