Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed that “the municipal and mukhtar elections are an opportunity to improve Beirut.”

After casting his vote in Bir Hassan, he said: “I am confident that my fellow citizens in the city will ensure everyone's representation in the municipal council,” noting that “Beirut needs improvement, and the government’s neutrality in the elections has been maintained. As a citizen, I have voted for what serves the city’s best interest.”

He added: “I urge everyone to turn out and vote,” stressing that “we must learn from the mistakes that occurred in Tripoli and the North,” and remarked that “it is possible to encounter a delay in the vote-counting process in Beirut, but it is unlikely to be significant.”

Watch the attached video for his full statement.