Lebanon’s victorious MPs must resist Hezbollah’s divide

In this historic shake-up of traditional political fiefdoms, several figures who were regarded as irreplaceable pillars of the old system — such as Hezbollah and Syria allies Talal Arslan, Elie Ferzli and Faisal Karami — lost their seats. Despite massive efforts by the old guard to co-opt and steal the vote, over 50 percent of the coming parliament is likely to be composed of new faces.

A new crop of 17 “change” candidates, many of whom were personally active in the 2019 uprising, have transformed the political fabric beyond all recognition. They look and talk like ordinary Lebanese, unlike the kleptocratic class we are accustomed to seeing in government.
These elections represented a breakthrough for voter awareness, with many diverging from sectarian preferences. Particularly among the diaspora there were huge efforts to assist voters in making intelligent choices of the best candidates.