Lebanon's Premier Rafiq Hariri suffered a humiliating defeat in his native city of Sidon in the third stage of the country's local elections Sunday, according to early media projections Monday morning with 80-to-90 percent of the vote counted.
In Jezzine, the largest Christian city in south Lebanon, an alliance of factions opposed to President Emile Lahoud's pro-Syrian line was heading for defeat as the loyalist list backed by parliament member Samir Azar took the lead at daybreak Monday.
In Hasbaya, the only Druze-populated bastion in the south, State Minister Talal Arslan's National Democratic Party scored a surprise win over Walid Jumblat's Progressive Socialist Party with most of the votes counted, An Nahar daily reported Monday.
Hariri's defeat in Sidon was seen by the Lebanese media Monday as the biggest upset in south Lebanon's local elections.
Hariri conceded defeat in a statement, describing the outcome as a testimony for democracy in Lebanon. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
