Lebanese voter turnout low, at just 25%

Voter turnout in the Lebanese parliamentary elections held yesterday was as little as 25.26 per cent four hours before polling stations were due to close, Anadolu news agency reported, citing the Lebanese Ministry of Interior and Municipalities.

Interior Minister Bassam Al-Mawlawi said that the final count will be issued after the judges finish counting the ballot papers.

Some 103 electoral lists comprising 718 candidates distributed over 15 electoral districts are competing in the elections to select 128 deputies in the parliament.

Once a parliament is elected, the lawmakers will elect a president.

As many as 3.9 million people are eligible to vote in Lebanon, including 225,000 overseas voters, who voted last week.

Since Saturday, army forces have been deployed across Lebanon to ensure the security of the electoral process.

The elections come in light of an unprecedented severe economic crisis that caused a record collapse in the local currency, as well as shortage of fuel and medicine and an increase in food prices.

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