14/05/2018 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 9 May, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service stated that the parliamentary elections in Lebanon on 6 May – the first since 2009 – had been "well conducted and generally peaceful". This "is a clear sign of the maturity of the Lebanese democratic institutions and the aspirations of the Lebanese people to overcome the persisting fragilities to achieve a democratic and united country", the spokesperson said. "Despite a relatively low turnout (49.2%), the new law has offered more competition and choice for the electorate", the spokesperson added, saying that the EU was committed to supporting Lebanon's work in strengthening its electoral framework. The elections resulted in the victory of Hezbollabh and its allies and were the first using a new electoral framework based on proportional representation. (CG)