BJP, Cong intensify preparations for 2023 MP Assembly polls.
Congress is leading in Karnataka assembly polls in early trends and appeared to stretch its margin over the BJP with almost a seven per cent lead over the ruling party in vote share.
The early trends showed that the party was close to the halfway mark, leading on 112 seats at 10.35 am. According to Election Commission data, the BJP is leading on 74 seats, Janata Dal (Secular) on 30, Independents 3 and Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha and Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha on one each.
Trends were available for 219 of 224 seats in the state. The Congress has a vote share of 43.2 per cent while it is 36.4 per cent for BJP and 12.6 per cent for JD(S). The halfway mark in assembly is 113.
The counting of votes began at 8 am amid tight security across the state.
There were celebrations at Congress headquarters in Delhi in anticipation of victory.
Former Karnataka CM and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy visited a temple in Bengaluru amid the counting of votes for Karnataka polls.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited a Lord Hanuman temple in Shimla
The exit polls predicted a hung assembly with some showing Congress returning to power with a majority. A few exit polls also showed BJP ahead.
Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar during a India Today conclave, in Bengaluru. (Photo: IANS)
If there is hung assembly, Janata Dal (Secular) can play the role of a kingmaker.
Kumaraswamy on Saturday said that he has not been contacted as yet for the formation of the government in case of a cliffhanger, adding that he is hoping for a good show.
“In the next 2-3 hours, it will become clear. Exit polls show that the two national parties will score in a big way. The polls have given 30-32 seats to JD(S). I am a small party, there is no demand for me…I am hoping for a good development,” he said.
“No one has contacted me till now. Let us see the final results first. According to the exit polls, there is no need for options. Let us see,” the JD(S) leader added.
The exit polls, which were released after the polling ended in Karnataka, predicted that Janata Dal-Secular JD(S) would not touch the 37 seats it won in the 2018 polls but will continue to be a strong regional player in the state.
The fiercely contested election that saw high-pitch campaigns from the political parties is crucial for both BJP and Congress. (ANI)
Mangalore City South recorded 65.1 per cent voter turnout, Mangalore City North 72.32 per cent, Moodabidri (76.11), and Belthangady (80.8)…reports Asian Lite News
A voter turnout of 72.67 per cent was recorded in the Karnataka Assembly elections on Wednesday, where polling for the 224 Assembly seats ended at 6 p.m., the Election Commission (EC) has said.
Barring few incidents, the polling was overall peaceful, the EC Secretariat said in a statement.
The southern state had crossed 50 per cent of voters turnout in the post-lunch period. By 5 p.m., 65.69 per cent of voters turned out and excercised their voting rights.
The voter turnout in the high voltage Varuna seat was recorded at 84.39 per cent. It is one among the keenly observed seats as Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and Minister for Housing V. Somanna are contesting from this seat.
The trend of huge voter turnout in coastal and hilly regions in the state continued. The voter turnout touched 74.07 per cent in Virajpet, while in Madikeri it was at 75.39 per cent.
Dakshina Kannada district which witnessed revenge killings and communal incidents also saw a large number of voters turning out to booths. Sullia recorded 78.94 per cent polling, Puttur (80.02), Bantwal (80.17), and Mangalore (77.6).
Mangalore City South recorded 65.1 per cent voter turnout, Mangalore City North 72.32 per cent, Moodabidri (76.11), and Belthangady (80.8).
The Udupi districts assembly segments Karkal saw 81.3 per cent polling, Kapu (78.79), Udupi (75.87), Kundapura (78.94) and Byndoor recorded 77.84 per cent voting.
Channapatna seat, from where former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and BJP former minister C.P. Yogeshwar have locked horns had recorded 85.23 per cent voting. Kanakapura from where Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar is contesting registered 84.52 per cent.
Shikaripura seat, from where former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa’s son B.Y. Vijayendra is contesting, had seen 82.57 per cent turnout.
Hubli-Dharwad Central, from where former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar is contesting on Congress ticket, has seen 64.18 per cent voter turnout. Athani seat, being contested by former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, recorded 80.23 per cent polling.
Bengaluru, May 08 (ANI): Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra waves as she holds a roadshow for the Karnataka Assembly elections, at Vijayanagar, in Bengaluru on Monday. (ANI Photo)
The Lingayat and Vokkaliga voters will play a major factor in the elections. Lingayats comprise 17 per cent of the population and Vokkaligas 11 per cent…reports Asian Lite News
The high-voltage campaign for the May 10 assembly elections in Karnataka ended on Monday with top leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding 19 public meetings and six roadshows while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi camped in the state for 12 days.
All three major political parties in the state – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) have put all their efforts to woo the voters, making promises and launching accusations at each other to secure a majority in the state’s 224-seat Assembly. The Karnataka assembly will go to polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13. The majority mark to form the government is 113 seats.
The BJP which is facing an air of anti-incumbency factor, is eyeing a second term in the state and has exuded confidence in retaining power with a full majority.
The Lingayat and Vokkaliga voters will play a major factor in the elections. Lingayats comprise 17 per cent of the population and Vokkaligas 11 per cent.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the party will return to power with a full majority.
Shah held a mega roadshow in Doddaballapura on Sunday. “We will win the elections by full majority or at least half a mark plus 15 seats. In these four years, Yediyurappa and Bommai government has done a lot of work,” the Union Home Minister told ANI.
Significantly, Karnataka is the only state in the South where BJP is in power.
With top leadership including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah campaigning for the party, BJP put all its might to strengthen its support base.
The support and affection of the people of Karnataka are clear indications that the BJP's victory with an unprecedented majority is a certainty. Take a look at the visuals from yesterday’s campaign trail in Karnataka. pic.twitter.com/zFOaen3bRt
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed 19 public meetings and held six roadshows. Amit Shah held 16 public rallies and 14 roadshows. BJP chief JP Nadda held 10 public meetings and 16 roadshows.
Hectic electioneering by leaders of various political parties saw BJP allowing Union Ministers and Chief Ministers to campaign with their full force while Congress putting its chief ministers including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as star campaigners.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held four election rallies and held a roadshow. Further, several union ministers including Nirmala Sithraman, Nitin Gadkari, S Jaishankar, Ashwini Vaishnav, Smriti Irani and Jyotiraditya Scindia.
BJP also pitted several chief ministers including UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his Maharashtra counterpart Eknath Shinde in the campaign fray of Karnataka.
#Congress campaign in Ballari region Area of Karnataka led by #SoniaGandhi is resulting in a huge wave of support for the party.
Almost 6 out of the 8 MLA seats in the district are swingingviou towards the #Congress.
The Congress on the other hand worked hard to wrest power from the BJP that is striving to break the 38-year-old pattern of alternating governments and retain its power in the state.
Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, held various roadshows, rallies and elections campaigns.
With the war of words between top guns of all the major political parties, the campaigns of the election of the southern citadel saw allegations and accusations flying thick and fast. (ANI)
BJP succeeded significantly in the by-elections as well as 17 Congress MLAs cross-voted during the presidential election. Overall, the BJP’s position is strong, but it is concerned should a situation like 2018 repeat…reports Sundep Pouranik
 Although there is more than a year to go before the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, both prominent political parties, the ruling BJP and Congress in opposition, are intensifying their efforts for the election and have come full swing in election mode. While Congress is conducting a ground survey for the candidature, BJP is busy gathering the feedback of the leaders.
Both the parties seem to be drawing lessons from the assembly elections of 2018 and are cautious of any kind of lapse. The reason is that in that election, Congress came to power with some gains but neither party had a majority.
In the assembly of 230 MLAs, Congress was able to win 114 and BJP 109, but due to the support of independents and SP-BSP, Congress formed the government. Later, there was a rebellion within Congress and the government collapsed in 2020. As a result, BJP got a chance to take the reigns after a year and a half.
Although BJP wields power in the state, they are alert about the 2023 elections as the result of the 2018 is not forgotten. The strength of BJP has increased after the 2018 assembly elections because Jyotiraditya Scindia, a veteran Congress leader, is now with BJP. Besides, more than two dozen MLAs had also joined BJP.
BJP succeeded significantly in the by-elections as well as 17 Congress MLAs cross-voted during the presidential election. Overall, the BJP’s position is strong, but it is concerned should a situation like 2018 repeat.
While BJP’s organisation head Vishnu Dutt Sharma is touring all over the state and engaging in campaign to strengthen the organisation, his emphasis is on strength of the booth. The party has also taken seriously the result of the recently held civic body elections as out of 16 municipal corporations, Congress mayoral candidates have won five seats and two seats went to others.
The BJP is particularly on the lookout for those who can rebel or are involved in activities against the party, that is why the party is continuously taking action against such people. On the other hand, feedback at ground level is also being collected. Based on this as well, the candidates for the upcoming assembly elections will be decided.
While BJP is trying to strengthen its mobilisation, Congress has also intensified its ground preparations. Kamal Nath has appointed in-charge and co-in-charges at district level and has intensified the work of survey and he has also made it clear in the recently held meeting that only those names in the survey will be fielded.
Kamal Nath’s attitude is sharp these days, he is instructing the party leaders and has an eye on those people who can harm the party. Besides, he is also alert should there be a rebellion within the party again.
Political analysts believe that there will be a tough fight between BJP and Congress in the state in the coming assembly elections, which is why both the parties are already trying to move forward. If BJP has a strong organisation, then the big hope for Congress is seen in the failures of the state and Central government.
Therefore, both the parties are preparing for the elections in their own ways. A strengthened party is surer to meet with success; rebellion will cause the party to suffer.
The announcement first came from PTI’s official Twitter account, and was later confirmed by the party’s Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry…reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief and ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday announced he will contest bypolls on all the nine vacant Assembly seats after the Election Commission of Pakistan released the schedule for bypolls on Friday.
The announcement first came from PTI’s official Twitter account, and was later confirmed by the party’s Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry while speaking at a press conference, the Dawn reported.
According to the ARY News, in a meeting with journalists, Imran Khan said, “Elections would be held this year, government parties want to single him out….Would fight against the rulers at every platform.”
“The government alliance’s plans to disqualify him would never be completed,” he said, adding that appointing Sikandar Sultan Raja as the ECP chief was a major mistake.
The former premier added that two foreign countries offered him funding in the past but he refused. Leaders with popular support cannot be eradicated, he added.
Imran Khan’s announcement to contest the bypolls on all nine seats has startled many, with some commentators questioning if the PTI chairman could not find any other suitable candidate and the expenses to be incurred on the subsequent by-elections should Imran Khan win multiple seats and quits all but one.
According to the Dawn, a Representative of Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) of Pakistan, Mudassir Rizvi said that the Constitution provided for by-elections to be held within a certain time-frame after a seat fell vacant, as well as allowing a candidate to contest on multiple seats but retain just one, in case the nominee wins from multiple constituencies.
“That way our Constitution also allows state funds to be incurred on political ambitions of political leaders and parties. In just one constituency only, the kind of staff required, number of polling stations and booths set up, and at least a couple of thousand election staff involved, the expenses run into millions each time,” he added.
Election Commission of Pakistan on Friday announced that by-elections on nine National Assembly (NA) seats will be held on September 25.
The poll body announced the schedule for the constituencies of NA-22 Mardan, NA-24 Charsadda, NA-31 Peshawar, NA-45 Kurram, NA-108 Faisalabad, NA-118 Nankana Sahib, as well asNA-237 Malir, NA-239 Korangi Karachi and NA-246 Karachi South.
The nine seats are among the 11 vacated after acceptance of resignations of PTI MNAs by the National Assembly speaker, and their de-notification, last week, following the removal of the party chief Imran Khan from the office of the Prime minister earlier this year.
The NA speaker had accepted the resignations of 11 PTI MNAs, including nine on general seats and two on reserved, under Article 64(1) of the Constitution of Pakistan.
On July 28, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf accepted the resignations of the PTI Lawmakers three months after the en-mass resignation of the lawmakers on April 11 following the ouster of the former prime minister Imran Khan from the top office after the no-confidence motion moved by the joint opposition in the parliament against him succeeded.
The government accepted the resignations of 11 PTI MNAs including Shireen Mazari, Ali Muhammad Khan, Ijaz Shah, Farrukh Habib, Shandana Gulzar, Fazal Muhammad, Fakhar Zaman, Abdul Shakoor Shad, Jameel Ahmed and Akram Cheema, ARY News reported.
The confirmation of the acceptance of the resignations was issued by the NA Secretariat, which issued a list.
Notably, the PTI members after approval of the party’s leadership tendered their resignations from the National Assembly. PTI MNA Murad Saeed was the first PTI MNA who submitted his resignation to the National Assembly’s speaker, ARY News reported.
The then-Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Qasim Suri approved the resignations of the PTI MNAs. (ANI)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson looks at the eVTOL aircraft during a visit to the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
The government won the vote by 349 to 238, with the Conservative Party MPs rallied behind the outgoing Prime Minister…reports Asian Lite News
Lawmakers in the House of Commons, the lower house of the British parliament, backed outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government in a confidence vote.
Johnson’s government on Monday evening called for the confidence vote itself to see off a rival move by the main opposition Labour Party that could have led to a snap general election, Xinhua news agency reported.
The government won the vote by 349 to 238, with the Conservative Party MPs rallied behind the outgoing Prime Minister.
Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, urged MPs to vote no confidence for Johnson, adding: “Britain deserves a fresh start with Labour, free from those who got us stuck in the first place, free from the chaotic Tory party and free from those who propped up this Prime Minister for months and months.”
“Today, we finally have a chance to cast our verdict on a failed Prime Minister and a Conservative party that is collapsing before our very eyes,” Ian Blackford, leader of the Scottish National Party in the House of Commons, said in the debate in the Commons.
Johnson resigned earlier this July as party leader, the title that also gives him the job of Prime Minister.
In 2019, just months after moving into 10 Downing Street, Johnson called a snap general election, winning the Conservatives an 80-seat majority, one of the biggest successes in the party’s post-war history.
But amid a series of scandals, ranging from so-called parties at 10 Downing Street during Covid-19 lockdown to his handling of a scandal over a close ally involved in alleged sexual misbehaviour, Johnson bowed to pressure to stand down.
Earlier on Monday, the number of candidates in the race to succeed Johnson as party leader and the Prime Minister was reduced to four: Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Penny Mordaunt and Kemi Badenoch.
Rishi Sunak widens lead
Former finance minister Rishi Sunak widened his lead in the latest round of voting Monday by Conservative MPs to decide Britain’s next prime minister, but the race to get in the final two tightened.
Sunak won the support of 115 Tory lawmakers, followed by Penny Mordaunt on 82 votes, Liz Truss on 71, Kemi Badenoch on 58 and Tom Tugendhat on 31, who drops out as the last-placed candidate, the party announced.
MPs will keep voting until only two candidates remain, the winner then being decided by the party members.
Mordaunt had been bookmakers’ favourite before the weekend, but lost votes from the previous round.
Foreign Secretary Truss closed the gap to 11 and can probably expect more support switching to her from Badenoch’s backers, should the insurgent candidate be eliminated in the next round, promising a tense race to make the final cut Wednesday.
Television bosses earlier Monday scrapped a planned debate between the remaining contenders for Tuesday night after Sunak and Truss pulled out, said Sky News, which was due to host it.
“Conservative MPs are said to be concerned about the damage the debates are doing to the image of the Conservative party, exposing disagreements and splits within the party,” it added in a statement.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on July 7 he was quitting as Conservative leader after a government rebellion in protest at his scandal-hit administration.
He is staying on as prime minister until his successor is announced on September 5.
In the two previous televised debates — on Channel 4 Friday and the ITV network Sunday — the contenders clashed notably on whether to cut taxes to help ease a soaring cost of living crisis.
But Sunday’s clash turned more acrimonious — and personal — with candidates encouraged to directly criticise one another and their proposals.
Sunak called out Truss for voting against Brexit, her previous membership of the Liberal Democrats, and her position on tax.
In turn, Truss questioned Sunak’s stewardship of the economy.
Badenoch attacked Mordaunt for her stance on transgender rights — a rallying call in the “culture wars” exercising the Tory right.
Paul Goodman, from the ConservativeHome website, likened the debates to a “political version of ‘The Hunger Games'” and questioned why they had agreed to it.
“Tory MPs and activists will have watched in horror as several of the candidates flung buckets of manure over each other,” he wrote.
He questioned why they would publicly accept to criticise the record of the government that all but one of them served in, or the policies they supported as ministers.
Chancellor of Exchequer Rishi Sunak Spring Statement. Chancellor of Exchequer Rishi Sunak on his way to the Cabinet room for the Prime Minister’s weekly Cabinet meeting before delivering his Spring Statement in the House of Commons . Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
The main opposition Labour party has called for Johnson to leave immediately.
During the debate, Johnson defended his government’s record, citing the vaccine rollout and support of Ukraine.
“I believe this is one the most dynamic governments of modern times, not just overcoming adversity on a scale we haven’t seen for centuries but delivering throughout adversity.”
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn joked that his one-time sparring partner was taking MPs on a “fantasy tour of this country”.
There were two contesting candidates — Draupadi Murmu and Yashwant Sinha for the 16th Presidential election…reports Asian Lite News
A total of 11 states and one union territory including Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Puducherry, Sikkim, Mizoram and Tamil Nadu recorded 100 per cent voting on Monday in polling for the election of the 15th President of India.
Polling concluded successfully in free, fair and transparent manner at the Parliament House on Monday and in each of the 30 places of poll in State Legislative Assemblies including Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi and UT of Puducherry.
There were two contesting candidates — Draupadi Murmu and Yashwant Sinha for the 16th Presidential election.
As per the Election Commission, of a total of 771 Members of Parliament entitled to vote (5 vacant), and similarly out of total 4,025 Members of the Legislative Assemblies entitled to vote (6 vacant and 2 disqualified), over 99 per cent cast their vote on Monday.
However 100 per cent voting by MLAs was reported from Chattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Puducherry, Sikkim, Mizoram and Tamil Nadu.
The Election to the office of President is one of the most important elections, which the Election Commission conducts vide the mandate of Article 324 of the Constitution. Polling was held between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in 31 locations.
As per Article 54 of the Constitution, the President of India is elected by the Members of an Electoral College consisting of the elected members of both Houses of Parliament, and the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of all States (including National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Puducherry).
The Members nominated to either House of Parliament or the Legislative Assemblies of States, including NCT of Delhi and Union Territory of Puducherry, are not eligible to be included in the Electoral College.
The Election Commission is required to maintain a list of members of the Electoral College.
The list contains the names of elected members of the Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha and the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of States, NCT of Delhi and UT of Puducherry.
Two members including Anant Kumar Singh and Mahendra Hari Dalvi were not eligible to vote in the election on Monday, owing to disqualification under Section 8 of R.P. Act, 1951 subsequent to judgement of competent court.
Further, there are 5 vacancies in Rajya Sabha and 6 vacancies in State Legislative Assemblies.
Therefore, there were a total of 4,796 electors in the list of Electoral College for this Presidential Election to participate in the election.
She denied that there was violence in West Bengal after the 2021 assembly polls. “This is all propaganda by the BJP and its confidant media groups…reports Asian Lite News
The 2024 Lok Sabha polls will not be an election to select a new government at the Centre but to reject the BJP, West Bengal Chief Minister and All India Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee said on Monday.
Speaking at a conclave here, the Chief Minister referred to the recent trend of “bulldozer politics,” and said that the people of India will pay back the BJP in the same coin by bulldozing them out of power.
“The misuse of power by the BJP is bulldozing people and democracy. But in 2024, the people of India will bulldoze them out of power. The 2024 Lok Sabha polls will not be between BJP and the opposition, rather it will be BJP versus people of India. That is why I am saying that those polls will not be the election for selection but election for rejection of BJP,” she said.
She also took a jibe at the BJP over the latter’s frequent attacks against her for encouraging dynasty politics by promoting her nephew and Trinamool Congress’ national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee. “Why is Abhishek targeted? Did not Sheikh Hasina take over the baton from her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman? Haven’t people of Uttar Pradesh accepted Akhilesh Yadav after his father Mulayam Singh Yadav?” she questioned.
Banerjee alleged that it was something more than financial considerations that the BJP offered to the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs used for toppling the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government. “I will not spell out more details. It can be ‘M’ and it can be ‘W’. Now it is for all to understand. I have all the information but I will not say anything more. At times silence speaks more. Everything will be revealed at some point of time or the other,” she said.
She denied that there was violence in West Bengal after the 2021 assembly polls. “This is all propaganda by the BJP and its confidant media groups. Of the 21 people killed in violence, 16 of them were Trinamool Congress activists. Four of them were killed in BSF firing. Now all these have been included in the post-poll violence. The BJP’s national president J.P. Nadda is responsible for spreading such lies.”
Reacting to her allegations, BJP’s spokesman in West Bengal Shamik Bhattacharya said that the chief minister is actually scared of the growing popularity of the BJP throughout the country. “That is why she says such things. The 2024 Lok Sabha polls will prove that the public support is with the BJP on a much larger scale,” he said.
Ballot boxes distributed in Lebanon for parliamentary elections
Authorities in Lebanon have distributed thousands of ballot boxes all over the country for Sunday’s much-awaited parliamentary elections…reports Asian Lite News
Thousands of soldiers have deployed near the polling stations to ensure a smooth electoral process and maintain peace and security during the elections, reports Xinhua news agency.
“The security situation is under control, and a tight security plan has been developed to guarantee the protection of centres and the integrity of the electoral process,” Minister of Interior and Municipalities Bassam Mawlawi said late Saturday night.
A total of 718 candidates, including 118 females, are running for the 128-seat Lebanese Parliament.
Ahead of Sunday’s polls, the first round of voting for the Lebanese expats took place on May 6 in nine Arab countries and Iran, and the second phase began on May 8 in 49 countries across Asia, Africa and Europe.
Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system allocates seats for its mosaic of religious sects in its Parliament, including Sunni and Shia Muslims, various Christian denominations, and the Druze.
The president must always be a Maronite Christian, the Prime Minister a Sunni and the Speaker of Parliament a Shia.
The elections come amid an unprecedented economic crisis that emerged about three years ago, leading to the currency to lose more than 90 per cent of its value since 2019, while also plunging over 70 per cent of the population into poverty.
The second phase of Lebanese expatriates voting in parliamentary elections kicked off in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and 48 other countries on Sunday…reports Asian Lite News
More than 25,000 Lebanese voters residing in the UAE are eligible to vote and long queues were reported outside polling stations, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Lebanese news platform L’Orient Today.
According to the official Lebanese National News Agency (NNA), a total of 194,348 Lebanese expatriates have registered to cast their votes in the ballot boxes in Lebanese embassies and consulates in Canada, the US, Australia, and other countries in Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia.
Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun visited Sunday the Foreign Ministry to inspect its monitoring of the second phase of expat parliamentary elections that got underway in the morning, noting he hoped “the elections will end without any problems or objections.”
The first phase of expatriates’ voting took place on Friday in 10 countries, namely Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Iran.
The voter turnout in the 10 countries was 59.49 per cent on Friday, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib was quoted by the NNA as saying.
The Lebanese elections, which are slated for May 15 at home, come amid an unprecedented economic crisis that emerged about three years ago, leading to the currency collapse and plunging over 70 per cent of the population into poverty.
Holding the elections is among the many requirements from the international organizations and donor countries for extending their support to the crisis-hit country.
Parliamentary elections are held in Lebanon every 4 years, and a total of 718 candidates, including 118 females, are running for the elections of the 128-seat Lebanese parliament scheduled for May 15.
