Unofficial results show Hezbollah gains in Lebanon elections

The Iran-backed Hezbollah group and its political allies scored significant gains in Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Lebanon while the Western-backed Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s Future Movement sustained losses, according to preliminary and unofficial results published in Lebanese media today.

The results, which are more or less expected to match the official count, show that Hariri, a Sunni politician with close ties to Saudi Arabia, has so far lost five seats in Beirut, once considered his party’s stronghold.

If confirmed, the results will be yet another boost for Iran’s allies in Lebanon and neighboring Syria, where it has seen its strength steadily grow over the past few years.

Official results are expected to be announced by Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk later today, although no time has been set. Both Hariri and the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, were expected to speak later in the day.

The next Lebanon government, like the outgoing one, will likely be a unity government that incorporates Hariri’s opponents from the Shiite Hezbollah group.

Hezbollah and its allies appear set to take at least 47 seats in the 128-seat parliament, which will enable them to veto any laws the Shiite militant group opposes. The group, according to the unofficial results, added one seat and now has a bloc of 13 in parliament, known as “Loyalty to the Resistance” bloc.

— AP