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| Tensions high for Lebanon polls | Tensions high for Lebanon polls |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Security is tight for two Lebanese by-elections set to choose replacements for murdered MPs from the ruling anti-Syrian coalition. | Security is tight for two Lebanese by-elections set to choose replacements for murdered MPs from the ruling anti-Syrian coalition. |
| The vote in Metn to replace former minister Pierre Gemayel is being seen as a key test of support among the deeply divided Christian community. | The vote in Metn to replace former minister Pierre Gemayel is being seen as a key test of support among the deeply divided Christian community. |
| Mr Gemayel's father, ex-President Amin Gemayel, 65, is running for the seat. | Mr Gemayel's father, ex-President Amin Gemayel, 65, is running for the seat. |
| Supporters of the former president have clashed with those of the other main Christian leader, Michel Aoun. | |
| [Pierre Gemayel] was killed one time, we don't want to kill him two times Alexander Daghervoter in Metn | [Pierre Gemayel] was killed one time, we don't want to kill him two times Alexander Daghervoter in Metn |
| Mr Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) is contesting the seat with Camille Khoury, a doctor, as its candidate. | Mr Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) is contesting the seat with Camille Khoury, a doctor, as its candidate. |
| Both Mr Aoun and Mr Gemayel are potential candidates in this year's divisive presidential election and the race in the in the Metn mountains is expected to be close. | Both Mr Aoun and Mr Gemayel are potential candidates in this year's divisive presidential election and the race in the in the Metn mountains is expected to be close. |
| Security is tight across the region, particularly outside the headquarters of the two Christian parties which stand just 500 metres (yards) apart and are separated by hundreds of Lebanese soldiers. | Security is tight across the region, particularly outside the headquarters of the two Christian parties which stand just 500 metres (yards) apart and are separated by hundreds of Lebanese soldiers. |
| Voting queues | Voting queues |
| Thousands of people turned out to vote in the mountains, north-east of Beirut, with queues of people already forming outside more than 300 polling stations when they opened at 0700 (0400 GMT). | Thousands of people turned out to vote in the mountains, north-east of Beirut, with queues of people already forming outside more than 300 polling stations when they opened at 0700 (0400 GMT). |
| LEBANESE BY-ELECTIONS Metn: Bitterly opposed rivals in a Christian heartland are fighting to replace MP Pierre Gemayel (above right), shot dead in November West Beirut: Ruling coalition candidate is expected to have easy win in a mainly Sunni area where MP Walid Eido (left) was killed by a bomb in JunePolls close at 1800 (1500 GMT) Polls raise stakes | LEBANESE BY-ELECTIONS Metn: Bitterly opposed rivals in a Christian heartland are fighting to replace MP Pierre Gemayel (above right), shot dead in November West Beirut: Ruling coalition candidate is expected to have easy win in a mainly Sunni area where MP Walid Eido (left) was killed by a bomb in JunePolls close at 1800 (1500 GMT) Polls raise stakes |
| Amin Gemayel said on Sunday he was standing on behalf of everyone who had died for Lebanon, including his son. | Amin Gemayel said on Sunday he was standing on behalf of everyone who had died for Lebanon, including his son. |
| Alexander Dagher, a voter in Metn, told the BBC that he had turned out to prevent the late Pierre Gemayel being "killed again". | Alexander Dagher, a voter in Metn, told the BBC that he had turned out to prevent the late Pierre Gemayel being "killed again". |
| "The place was for Pierre Gemayel and I came here to put my voice against all the people who are trying to kill him one more time," he said. | "The place was for Pierre Gemayel and I came here to put my voice against all the people who are trying to kill him one more time," he said. |
| "So he was killed one time, we don't want to kill him two times." | "So he was killed one time, we don't want to kill him two times." |
| As Aoun supporters drove in convoys, beeping their horns and displaying their movement's orange flags, voter Fadi Nasr told AFP news agency why he was backing the rival FPM: | As Aoun supporters drove in convoys, beeping their horns and displaying their movement's orange flags, voter Fadi Nasr told AFP news agency why he was backing the rival FPM: |
| "We are proud of our alliance with Hezbollah because it has made our lives easier in terms of living together in peace, Christians and Muslims." | "We are proud of our alliance with Hezbollah because it has made our lives easier in terms of living together in peace, Christians and Muslims." |
| Divisions widen | Divisions widen |
| Under Lebanon's sectarian political system, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the speaker a Shia Muslim. Parliament elects the president. | Under Lebanon's sectarian political system, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the speaker a Shia Muslim. Parliament elects the president. |
| The by-elections threaten to deepen Lebanon's political divisions, correspondents say. | The by-elections threaten to deepen Lebanon's political divisions, correspondents say. |
| They do not have the required approval of President Emile Lahoud, who is allied with the Hezbollah-led opposition, as is parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri. | They do not have the required approval of President Emile Lahoud, who is allied with the Hezbollah-led opposition, as is parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri. |
| Mr Berri has said he will not recognise the results. | Mr Berri has said he will not recognise the results. |
| Mohammed al-Amin Itani from the ruling coalition is expected to win easily in the vote to replace Walid Eido in mainly Sunni West Beirut. | Mohammed al-Amin Itani from the ruling coalition is expected to win easily in the vote to replace Walid Eido in mainly Sunni West Beirut. |
| Opening salvo | Opening salvo |
| Mr Gemayel and his allies accuse Syria of orchestrating the shooting of Pierre Gemayel last November and other anti-Syrian figures including Mr Eido, who was killed by a car bomb in June. | Mr Gemayel and his allies accuse Syria of orchestrating the shooting of Pierre Gemayel last November and other anti-Syrian figures including Mr Eido, who was killed by a car bomb in June. |
| Mr Aoun's FPM won a vast majority of the Christian vote in 2005 parliamentary polls, but his support slipped when he allied himself to the pro-Syria Shia Muslim movement Hezbollah. | Mr Aoun's FPM won a vast majority of the Christian vote in 2005 parliamentary polls, but his support slipped when he allied himself to the pro-Syria Shia Muslim movement Hezbollah. |
| The by-elections represent the opening salvos in a campaign for parliament to elect a successor to pro-Syrian President Lahoud, whose term ends later this year. | The by-elections represent the opening salvos in a campaign for parliament to elect a successor to pro-Syrian President Lahoud, whose term ends later this year. |
| The anti-Syrian camp has the simple majority in parliament to elect its own president, but it needs the co-operation of the pro-Syrian opposition to reach a two-thirds quorum. | The anti-Syrian camp has the simple majority in parliament to elect its own president, but it needs the co-operation of the pro-Syrian opposition to reach a two-thirds quorum. |
| Hezbollah and other opposition groups quit a unity cabinet last year and have been boycotting parliament in a campaign to demand a cabinet veto, after anti-Syrian factions won power in 2005 following years of political and military control by powerful neighbour Syria. | Hezbollah and other opposition groups quit a unity cabinet last year and have been boycotting parliament in a campaign to demand a cabinet veto, after anti-Syrian factions won power in 2005 following years of political and military control by powerful neighbour Syria. |