Lebanese interior minister announces final results of parliamentary elections

President Sleiman considers elections triumph, Berri says Lebanon thwarted sedition bets, Siniora urges prevalence of state sovereignty orientation

Saad Hariri presents victory to Lebanon and democracy

Regional, international parties praise election process, U.S. president appeals to Lebanese people to retain unanimity

Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud announced the official poll results in a press conference held at the ministry on Monday.

Winners included MPs Michel Aoun, Farid Elias Khazen, Youssef Khalil, Neamatallah Abi Nasser and Gilbert Zwein in the Kesrouan district, where the voter turnout reached 70 percent.

MPs Strida Geagea and Elie Keyrouz won in the Bcharre district, where the voter turnout reached 37 percent.

MPs Ali Hassan Khalil, Ali Fayyad, Assaad Hardane, Anwar Khalil, Qassem Hashem won in the Marjayoun-Hasbaya district, with a 46 percent voter turnout.

MPs Abed al-Majid Saleh, Mohammad Fneish, Nawwaf Mussawi and Ali Khreis won in the Tyre district, where voter turnout was 48 percent.

Education Minister Bahia Hariri and Premier Fouad Siniora won in Sidon with voter turnout as high as 68 percent.

MPs Boutros Harb and Antoine Zahra won in Batroun, where voter turnout reached 56 percent.

Speaker Nabih Berri and MPs Ali Osseiran and Michel Moussa won in the Zahrani district, and voter turnout reached 54 percent.

MPs Walid Khoury, Simon Abi Ramia and Abbas Hashem won in the Jbeil district, where voter turnout was 65 percent.

Deputy Speaker Farid Makari and MPs Farid Habib and Nicolas Ghosn won in the Koura district, where voter turnout was 47 percent.

MPs Sleiman Franjieh, Salim Karam and Stephan Douaihy won in the Zgharta district, with the voter turnout reaching 48 percent.

MPs Akram Chehayeb, Talal Arslan, Henri Helou, Fouad Saad and Fadi Haber won in the Aley district, where voter turnout was 54 percent.

MPs Walid Jumblatt, Marwan Hamadeh, Dori Chamoun, Elie Aoun, George Adwan, Nehmeh Tohmeh, Alaaeddine Terro and Mohammad Hajjar won in the Chouf district, where voter turnout was 50 percent.

MPs Saad Hariri, Tammam Salam, Mohammad Qabbani, Ammar Houri, Imad Hout, Atef Majdalani, Ghazi Aridi, Bassem al-Shab, Ghazi Youssef and Nabil de Freige won in the Beirut III district.

MPs Sami Gemayel, Ibrahim Kanaan, Nabil Nicolas, Salim Salhab, Michel Murr, Ghassan Moukheiber, Hagop Pakradounian and Edgard Maalouf won in the Metn district, where voter turnout reached 56 percent.

MPs Nadim Gemayel, Nayla Tueni, Michel Pharaon, Serge Torsarkissian and Jean Ogassapian won in the Beirut I district, with a 40 percent voter turnout.

MPs Mohammad Safadi, Najib Mikati, Mohammad Kabbara, Samir Jisr, Ahmad Karami, Samer Saadeh, Bader Wannous and Robert Fadel won in the Tripoli district, as voter turnout was 45 percent.

Official results issued by the Lebanese Interior Ministry on Monday confirmed that the March 14 Forces achieved victory in the elections, with 71 seats against 57 seats for the opposition forces. Lebanese President Michel Sleiman expressed his satisfaction over "the transparent elections, and the high spirit of democracy that prevailed throughout the electoral process."

"The elections proved that the Lebanese are able to preserve their democratic system in this important phase of our history," Sleiman said in a statement on Monday.

The president reiterated his calls for launching political and administrative reforms.

He also voiced hope that "all parties will cooperate together to help the country face economic and political challenges."

Also on Monday, Berri praised the "patriotic stances" shown by Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri and Democratic Gathering bloc leader MP Walid Jumblatt following the announcement of the election results in several districts on Sunday night.

Berri said in a statement that Hariri and Jumblatt showed their "keenness on promoting partnership" and called on the Lebanese to strengthen national unity.

The speaker voiced hope that the Parliament would ratify a new electoral law based on the proportional system, adding that "Lebanon defeated all attempts to instigate sedition and chaos."

Berri called for the full implementation of the Taif Accord.

"Lebanon now has two strong points: democracy and Resistance," Berri said.

He also said all parties shouldered their national responsibility and showed that they aimed to adopt democracy as their political approach. He also voiced hope that tensions would be reduced following the June 7 elections.

Berri praised Baroud, the Lebanese security forces, the Lebanese Army, media outlets and the judiciary for "making the elections a success."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on Monday described the elections as an important phase in the country's history. Following a meeting with Sleiman in Baabda Monday, Siniora said: "The Lebanese will remember that they managed to achieve democratic elections and reinforce our democratic institutions."

He attributed the success of the elections to the president, the Cabinet, the ministers involved in the electoral process, the army and the Internal Security Forces.

Siniora stressed that "the logic of the rule of the state should prevail, and a capable state can embrace all the Lebanese."

"What happened paved the way for a new phase, in which all should work for Lebanon's interests and the sovereignty of the state and its stability ... we also have to understand the changes in our country and the region and prepare ourselves to face them," he added.

Siniora also said the caretaker cabinet would convene next week, adding that it would be "constitutionally resigned when the new parliament assumes its responsibility on June 20."

Siniora expressed optimism about the new budget law to be discussed in the next session.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad warned the March 14 coalition on Monday that the group's weapons were not a subject open to discussion.

"The majority must commit not to question our role as a resistance party, the legitimacy of our weapons arsenal and the fact that Israel is an enemy state," Raad told Agence France Presse.

He warned that the outcome of Sunday's vote signaled further political turbulence. "The results indicate that the crisis will continue, unless the majority changes its attitude," Raad said.

In his weekly article to Al-Anbaa newspaper, Jumblatt praised "big efforts deployed by the security forces and Minister Baroud."

He also called for reconsidering the electoral law and promoting partnership.

US President Barack Obama congratulated the Lebanese people for a peaceful national election held with "courage" and a "commitment to democracy."

The Sunday vote produced a clear defeat for Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed group that the United States classifies as a terrorist organization.

"Once more, the people of Lebanon have demonstrated to the world their courage and the strength of their commitment to democracy," the president's statement said, without reference to Hezbollah.

The setback for the Shiite group coincided with Obama's call in Cairo last week for dialogue and understanding among Muslims and the predominantly Christian West, the United States in particular.

Saad Hariri is poised to follow in his father's footsteps and become Lebanon's next prime minister, a position he said he "will not shy away from."

"I will discuss it with my allies," the pro-U.S. Sunni lawmaker told CNN. "You know, I didn't win this election by myself. My allies had a big role to play in winning for the 14th of March (coalition). And I think it will only be fair and obvious that we talk, me and my allies ... and then after that, if I have to do it, I will not shy away from it."

Hariri is the head of the "March 14" coalition, which retained its control over Lebanon's government this week despite a strong challenge from a Hezbollah-dominated alliance.

Hariri said he hopes to accomplish what his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, never had a chance to do before he was killed in 2005.

"He accomplished in his assassination the sovereignty of Lebanon, the independence of Lebanon," Hariri said. "And I want to accomplish what he always dreamt of Lebanon being.

"I think he would want me to do what's good for Lebanon, do what would unite the Lebanese people, and ... concentrate on the economy and the security and stability of Lebanon."

The elder Hariri was killed in a massive bombing in February 2005 that also left 22 others dead. An ongoing United Nations investigation has found indications of Syrian involvement in the assassination of the popular statesman, but Syria has denied any role.

His death triggered massive protests that eventually led to the withdrawal of Syrian forces, ending Syria's occupation of Lebanon.

Saad Hariri said Sunday's vote "was about Lebanon" and not its precarious position between its alliances with Western countries and its Arab neighbors.

"The people who went on the 7th of June voted for Lebanon first," he said.

"It's not about the West; it's not about Iran; it's not about Syria. It's about we as Lebanese, what we want from this new parliament and from this new government that's going to come."

Hariri ruled out an independent peace track with Israel, sticking by his previous assessment that Lebanon will be the last country to sign a peace deal with the Jewish state.

"We will follow after the Arab initiative," he said. "You see, the Arab initiative includes many countries for the peace process, and Lebanon will come as we see fit."

Israel fought a war against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon three years ago that is widely regarded as having empowered the Shiite militia, which claimed victory in the six-week conflict.

Some analysts had feared that a Hezbollah victory in this week's parliamentary elections would have heightened tensions in the Middle East, particularly because of the estimated 30,000 rockets pointed at Israel from southern Lebanon, all under the control of Hezbollah militants.

Hariri met Tuesday with President Carter, who is in Beirut with more than 200 international observers monitoring the election. Shortly before that meeting, Hariri said the United States will play a key role in the effort to attain peace in the Middle East.

"I think the biggest turning point in this peace process is what the United States will do," he said. "The United States has a big role to play, and if it plays it in the right way, if it plays its role like it should play it, then we will have peace in the region. They should pressure both sides to move forward -- whether the Palestinians and the Israelis, whether the Syrians and the Israelis -- and I'm sure we'll get there."

After the victory of Hariri's coalition, the next step for Lebanese lawmakers will be to elect a speaker of the parliament. Then, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman will ask someone -- presumably Hariri -- to form a government.

In Lebanon, the presidency is reserved for Maronite Christians, the speaker of parliament is always a Shia Muslim, and the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim. That system was created to balance power among Lebanon's three main religious groups.