Southern Lebanon prepares to hold local elections after Israeli war

By Mahmut Geldi and Betul Yilmaz

BEIRUT / ISTANBUL (AA) - Voters in southern Lebanon are preparing to cast ballots in municipal elections next month amid destruction caused by the Israeli war on the country.

According to the Lebanese Interior Ministry, the vote is scheduled to be held in the south on May 25.

The vote comes as a fragile ceasefire remains in place since November, which ended months of cross-border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which escalated into a full-scale conflict in September.

Months of Israeli bombardment have caused massive destruction in most towns across southern Lebanon.

Like many areas across the south, piles of debris can be seen everywhere in the town of Khiam.

Home to nearly 35,000 residents, voters in the town will cast ballots on May 25 to elect a mayor, 21 municipal council members, and heads of 11 villages.

“Local elections will be held on time as scheduled in Khiam,” Ali Khreiis, 54, who is running for the head of a village in the polls, told Anadolu.

He said that voters will cast their ballots despite the massive destruction caused by the Israeli army.

“These elections have only one difficulty, which is the return of displaced citizens to their areas to vote,” he said.

“When they arrive, they will be saddened by the scenes of their destroyed homes after the Israeli war,” he said, vowing to supply electricity and water and restore the telephone network if elected.

- Infrastructure problems

Muhammed Ahmed Nassar, a 78-year-old resident, said the town suffers from many infrastructure problems, including a lack of water, electricity, and phone services.

He called on all residents of the town to participate in the upcoming elections.

“It is necessary to vote, share your opinion, and support each other,” he said.

Bassem Guraib, another resident, expressed hope that the polls will be held in a peaceful atmosphere.

“We hope to have transparent and peaceful elections,” he told Anadolu.

He stressed that the Lebanese people have not given up on their land.

“The challenge is not the destruction or the material loss; it is the resistance to defend our land.”

Saleem Abdullah, a candidate in next month’s polls, called on the Lebanese voters to turn out in droves during the polls.

“The elections should take place on time so that we can achieve our dreams for our town of Khiam, for which we have been resisting,” Abdullah said.

“We hope the situation will improve and the old days will return. Despite the destruction, we continue to live in our homes and run our daily affairs,” he added.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Israel refused to comply. It still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.