Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies are likely to lose their majority in the Lebanese parliament after Sunday’s election, three sources affiliated with the group said, a major blow to the heavily armed faction that reflects anger with ruling parties.
Analysts said it could lead to political deadlock and conflict as deeply divided factions strike rights-sharing deals in top state positions, risking further delays in reforms needed to address the economic crisis and unlock donor aid. Is raised.
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Opponents of the Shia Muslim Hezbollah, including the Lebanese Forces (LF), a Christian group, made significant gains as reform-minded newcomers to the election first rocked Beirut after Lebanon’s devastating economic downturn.
While the results of Sunday’s election have yet to be finalized, senior sources said it was unlikely Hezbollah and its allies would win more than 64 of the 128 seats in parliament, citing preliminary results.
When Lebanon last voted in 2018, Hezbollah and its allies won a majority of 71.
The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on behalf of Hezbollah and its allies.
A Left Front spokesman said Hezbollah and its allies had lost their parliamentary majority, but no group now has a majority.
The result fragments parliament into multiple camps and becomes increasingly polarized between Hezbollah’s allies and opponents, who are not currently united in a single bloc.
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