Anti-Syrian general secures election win

THE firebrand former general Michel Aoun emerged yesterday as Lebanon’s main Christian political force after scoring a stunning win in parliamentary elections only weeks after returning from exile.

Mr Aoun, prominent during Lebanon’s civil war, dealt a major blow to the existing Christian opposition and its hopes of securing strong representation in the new parliament to chart a course away from Syrian influence.

The polls, being held over four weekends ending on June 19, are the first for three decades without the presence of Syrian troops and are set to usher in an assembly with an anti-Syrian majority for the first time since the 1975-1990 civil war.