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NABATIEH: Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt said that
the uncontested victory of some candidates was
not a Lebanese specificity, explaining that it
existed even in the
United States. Speaking after a meeting with
Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday, Jumblatt said:
"U.S. Senator Joseph Biden visited me
yesterday in Mukhtara and told me that even in
America and in the Congress, some 40
candidates win uncontested."
Biden, a Democrat from
Delaware,
came to Lebanon to watch the balloting
process.
Jumblatt was accompanied by Beirut MP Ghazi
Aridi, who had won unopposed in Beirut.
Several other candidates, including Jumblatt
himself have won uncontested in various areas.
The Chouf MP also called for raising only
Lebanese flags and not those of political
parties during the elections in order to avoid
tension.
Jumblatt discussed with Berri the Beirut
elections and international reactions to them,
which he claimed "were positive," with teams
of UN and European Union monitors testifying
to the fairness of the electoral process.
He also expressed his satisfaction that the
elections were held on time even though the
2000 electoral law was heavily criticized.
Jumblatt said he would discuss electoral law
with Berri in order to satisfy all parties.
But he refused to answer a question related to
the visit made by U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey
Feltman to polling stations on Sunday.
By Samer Wehbe
Daily Star correspondent
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
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