Three Major Candidates Vying for Parliamentary Seat in Jezzine Polls

The Jezzine by-election scheduled for Sunday are predicted to witness a battle between three candidates, some of whom enjoy the support of the main Christian parties of the Free Patriotic Movement, Lebanese Forces, and Kataeb, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

The main candidates are Amal Abou Zeid, backed by the FPM, LF, and Kataeb, Ibrahim Azar, the son of former MP Samir Azar, and Patrick Rizkallah, a former FPM activist.

FPM founder MP Michel Aoun urged on Friday “Jezzine to assert the political course it adopted in 2009,” when the parliamentary elections were last held.

“It is required to repeat this experience to remain firm and to evolve,” he added.

“We hope that after 48 hours, we will have the only legitimate MP at parliament,” said Aoun in reference to parliament's extension of its term twice.

The term of parliament was extended in 2013 and another time in 2014 after political powers failed to agree on a new electoral law.

The by-election is aimed at filling the seat left vacant by the death of Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Helou, who passed away in 2014.

The by-election will be held simultaneously with municipal polls in the South and Nabatieh on Sunday.