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| Lebanon confirms Hariri election win | Lebanon confirms Hariri election win |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Official results released a day after Lebanon's hotly-contested parliamentary election have confirmed the pro-Western coalition has held on to its majority. | Official results released a day after Lebanon's hotly-contested parliamentary election have confirmed the pro-Western coalition has held on to its majority. |
| Interior Minister Ziad Baroud confirmed that the coalition led by Saad Hariri had won 71 seats in the 128-member body, one more than four years ago. | Interior Minister Ziad Baroud confirmed that the coalition led by Saad Hariri had won 71 seats in the 128-member body, one more than four years ago. |
| The bloc led by militant and political movement Hezbollah won 57 seats. | The bloc led by militant and political movement Hezbollah won 57 seats. |
| Mr Baroud said voting passed off satisfactorily, despite some organisational problems. | Mr Baroud said voting passed off satisfactorily, despite some organisational problems. |
| Security has been tightened and political leaders appealed for calm throughout Lebanon, which last year witnessed pitched battles between rival factions. | Security has been tightened and political leaders appealed for calm throughout Lebanon, which last year witnessed pitched battles between rival factions. |
| A possible victory for Hezbollah, which is supported by Syria and Iran, had caused jitters among Western governments, and the US was threatening to withdraw its aid package to Lebanon. | A possible victory for Hezbollah, which is supported by Syria and Iran, had caused jitters among Western governments, and the US was threatening to withdraw its aid package to Lebanon. |
| LEBANON ELECTIONS KEY FACTS 128-seat, divided along sectarian and communal lines - 64 for Muslims and 64 for ChristiansMPs elected for four-year termsVoting age 21 yearsMain factions- 14 March coalition: Future (Sunni); Progressive Socialists (Druze); Lebanese Forces (Maronite); Phalange (Maronite)- Opposition list: Hezbollah (Shia); Amal (Shia); Free Patriotic Movement (Maronite) Crowds turn out for Lebanon vote In pictures: Lebanon votes Christians - vote kingmakers Q&A: Lebanese elections explained | LEBANON ELECTIONS KEY FACTS 128-seat, divided along sectarian and communal lines - 64 for Muslims and 64 for ChristiansMPs elected for four-year termsVoting age 21 yearsMain factions- 14 March coalition: Future (Sunni); Progressive Socialists (Druze); Lebanese Forces (Maronite); Phalange (Maronite)- Opposition list: Hezbollah (Shia); Amal (Shia); Free Patriotic Movement (Maronite) Crowds turn out for Lebanon vote In pictures: Lebanon votes Christians - vote kingmakers Q&A: Lebanese elections explained |
| The turnout was 54%, Mr Baroud said, the highest percentage among Lebanon's three million voters since the 1975-91 civil war. | The turnout was 54%, Mr Baroud said, the highest percentage among Lebanon's three million voters since the 1975-91 civil war. |
| The campaign was marred by mud-slinging and accusations that large numbers of expatriate Lebanese were flown home for free to cast votes. | The campaign was marred by mud-slinging and accusations that large numbers of expatriate Lebanese were flown home for free to cast votes. |
| Lebanon is a country of deeply-fragmented religious sects, and this election broadly pitted Shia Muslim supporters of Hezbollah against Sunni Muslims and Druze supporting the 14 March coalition. | Lebanon is a country of deeply-fragmented religious sects, and this election broadly pitted Shia Muslim supporters of Hezbollah against Sunni Muslims and Druze supporting the 14 March coalition. |
| The crucial electoral show-down had been between Christian rivals, who although they make up only one third of the population are constitutionally guaranteed an equal half share of parliamentary seats. | The crucial electoral show-down had been between Christian rivals, who although they make up only one third of the population are constitutionally guaranteed an equal half share of parliamentary seats. |
| The influential Christian Maronite community was split between established Western-orientated factions and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) of former army chief Michel Aoun, which joined the pro-Syria faction in 2006. | |
| As predicted, Hezbollah and its smaller Shia ally Amal swept the vote in Lebanon's mainly Shia areas, but the FPM lost in the key districts of Zahleh and Beirut First. | |
| Deadlock | |
| After years of Syrian domination of its small neighbour, underpinned by a large military presence, the pro-Western bloc was swept to power in 2005, following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in a car bombing in Beirut. | |
| Popular discontent after that attack had forced Syria to withdraw its troops amid accusations of its involvement in the killing. The government in Damascus has strongly denied the claims. | |
| A post-2005 unity coalition collapsed in November 2006, with the resignation of all six of its pro-Syrian ministers, stripping it of representation by Lebanon's largest confessional group, the Shia Muslims. | |
| The following year parliament became deadlocked over filling the vacant presidency - and a unity government was only re-formed after the country teetered on the brink of full-scale civil war in May 2008. | |
| Analysts say another fragile unity government is likely from this result. | |
| A major division looks set to remain over Hezbollah's powerful guerrilla army, which pro-Western elements accuse of disrupting Lebanese stability but which Hezbollah supporters say is vital to resist the threat from Israel. | |
| Hezbollah will demand that it retain a veto-wielding share of cabinet seats which it secured in last year's unity talks. |