Voting to elect eight members of the Lebanese parliament took place in the Beirut I district (one of two electoral districts in the city) on 6 May 2018, part of the general election of that year. The constituency had 134,355 (2018) registered voters, out of whom 43,353 voted.
Background
2017 vote law As per the new Vote Law adopted by parliament on June 16, 2017, the electoral districts of Beirut were reorganized. The old Beirut I district merged with the Medawar quartier (previously in Beirut II), the new district retaining the name 'Beirut I'.GulfNews. Lebanon to hold parliamentary elections in May 2018Daily Star. Analysts skeptical new vote law will lead to change The new Beirut I district received the two Armenian Orthodox seats of the former Beirut II district, whilst the Minorities seat was shifted from the Muslim-domonated Beirut III district to the new Beirut I district.
Demographics The Eastern first Beirut electoral district covers 4 quartiers (neighbourhoods) of the Lebanese capital: Achrafieh, Saifi, Rmeil and Medawar.Table Attached to Law 44 dated 17/6/2017 (Official Gazette no.27 dated 17 June 2017) - Distribution of Seats to the Confessions and Districts ACE Project The area is predominantly Christian; the largest community in the Beirut I electorate are Armenian Orthodox (28.33%).دائرة بيروت الاولى . AnnaharErmeni Haber. Beyrut seçim bölgesinde sonuçları Ermeniler belirleyecek 19.2% are Greek Orthodox, 13.19% Maronite, 9.8% Greek Catholic, 9.76% Sunni, 5.57% Armenian Catholic, 3.95% Syriac Catholic, 3% Latin Catholics, 1.97% other Minorities groups, 2.88% Evangelicals, 1.99% Shia and 0.37% Druze or Alawite.
Voting Ahead of the 2018 Lebanese general election, 5 lists were registered in the Beirut I electoral district.77 لائحة تُقصي 334 مرشحاً: لبنان إلى الانتخابات Al-Akhbar After the split between the Future Movement and the Lebanese Forces, a joint list of the Free Patriotic Movement, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Tashnaq) and the Hunchaks was conceived ("Strong Beirut I") supported by the Future Movement.بيروت الأولى: هل يخرق المجتمع المدني بمقعدين؟. Al-Modon The Future Movement itself, however, stayed aloof from fielding candidates.Daily Star. East Beirut electoral field takes shape The Lebanese Forces, together with the Kataeb Party, Ramgavars and Michel Pharaon, and with support from Antoun Sehnaoui, fielded their list under the label "Beirut I".Daily Star. "Weekend electoral list announcements" Michelle Tueni fielded a third list, "We Are Beirut", being joined by incumbent Future MP Serge Torsarkissian.
For the Minorities seat the FPM fielded a Syriac Orthodox candidate, former Brigadier General Antoine Pano, whilst the Tueni list included Latin Catholic candidate Rafic Bazerji, an independent from a family historically close to the National Liberal Party.L'Orient Le Jour. Rafic Bazerji : Je veux œuvrer pour les jeunes... alors que la classe politique fait le contraire L'Orient Le Jour. Antoine Pano, du champ de bataille à l'arène politique
Candidates ListArmenian Orthodox, 3 seatsMaronite, 1 seatGreek Orthodox, 1 seatGreek Catholic, 1 seatArmenian Catholic, 1 seatMinorities, 1 seat "Strong Beirut I"(Tashnaq)Daily Star. East Beirut electoral field takes shape (Tashnaq)Sebouh Kalpakian
(Hunchak)«الهنشاك»: ثابتون في تحالفنا مع «المستقبل» . Al-MustaqbalMassoud Achkar
(Union for Lebanon)L'Orient Le Jour. Massoud Achkar : L’armée est capable d’assurer la sécurité sur tout le territoire Nicolas Chammas(FPM)Daily Star. FPM announces 46 candidates for electionsSerg Gukhadarian (Tashnaq)(FPM) "Beirut I"Carole BabikianAvedis Datsian (Ramgavar)Alina Kaloussian (Ramgavar)(Kataeb)kataeb.org. Kataeb Party Announces Candidates for Parliamentary Polls (Lebanese Forces)LBCI. REPORT: Who are LF candidates for upcoming elections?Michel PharaonRiad Akel (Lebanese Forces) "Kulluna Watani"(Sabaa)Laury Haytayan
(LiBaladi)Levon Telvizian (LiBaladi)Gilbert Doumit (LiBaladi)Ziad Abs
(Sah)Lucien Bourjeily
(You Stink)Yorgui Teyrouz (LiBaladi)Joumana Haddad(LiBaladi) "We are Beirut"Seybou MakhjianGeorges SfeirMichelle TueniSerge TorsarkissianRafic Bazerji"Loyalty to Beirut"Roger ChoueiriRobert ObeidAntoune QalaijianGina ChammasACE Project, Ministry of Interior and Municipalitiesالمسجلَّة في دائرة بيروت الأولى كما نشرتها المديرية العامة للشؤون السياسية واللاجئين. Ministry of Interior and Municipalities
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