Hariri wins Lebanon polls

BEIRUT (AFP) - A US-backed bloc led by the son of slain former premier Rafiq Hariri kept its grip on Lebanons parliament on Monday after defeating Hezbollah and its allies at the ballot box, but now faces a battle to keep the divided country together.
The coalition headed by Saad Hariri widened its majority in the 128-seat parliament to 71 seats, against 57 for Hezbollah and its Shia and Christian allies, Interior Minister Ziad Baroud said.
This is a big day in the history of democratic Lebanon, a triumphant Hariri, now being tipped by some as a possible premier, told his supporters after Sundays vote.
But analysts and newspapers are questioning whether the rival factions will be able to form a unity government and ensure Lebanon is not plunged into a renewed cycle of political instability and sectarian violence.
Despite its defeat, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah remains a potent political force and the nations strongest military group.
Police and soldiers had moved out in force in sensitive areas after Sundays election for fear of fighting between rivals, but no major incidents were reported after political leaders appealed for calm. The outcome is being closely watched by Lebanons neighbours and the international community, with the country already scarred by years of war, sectarian strife and damaging political crises.
Israel, which fought a devastating war with Hezbollah guerrillas in 2006, said the new government must act to prevent attacks from its soil.
It is incumbent upon any government that is formed in Beirut to ensure that Lebanon will not be used as a base for violence against the state of Israel and against Israelis, the foreign ministry said.
Parliament speaker Nabih Berri, whose Amal party is allied with Hezbollah, said he fully accepted the result of the vote, while Christian ally, the Free Patriotic Movement of wartime general Michel Aoun, also acknowledged defeat.
Preliminary estimates put turnout at more than 54 percent of the 3.2 million electorate, the highest since at least the end of the 1975-91 civil war.
Under Lebanons complex power-sharing system, seats are divided equally between majority Muslims and minority Christians, who make up about a third of the four-million population.
Former US president Jimmy Carter, heading a team of international observers, said he hoped Lebanons political parties and their foreign backers would accept the results.
The current majority swept to power in 2005 on a wave of popular anger following the assassination of Rafiq Hariri in a Beirut car bombing which propelled businessman Saad Hariri into the rough and tumble of politics. The murder was widely blamed on former powerbroker Syria, which denied any involvement, and the ensuing public outcry led to Damascus withdrawing its troops from Lebanon after a 29-year presence.