Date: Oct 17, 2019 Source: The Daily Star Hundreds run for municipal, mukhtar councils by-elections BEIRUT: Hundreds of candidates across Lebanon will run for the upcoming municipal and mukhtar by-elections, after the deadline to submit candidacies passed midnight Wednesday. The by-elections will be held on Oct. 27 to fill around 78 municipal councils and 13 mukhtar councils, according to an Interior Ministry statement issued last month. The deadline to withdraw candidacies is set for Oct. 21. The elections were called for by the Interior Ministry after several councils were dissolved due to the resignation of their council members. By midnight, 66 candidates submitted their papers to run for Tartej and Hsarat in the Jbeil district, according to the state-run National News Agency. In Batroun, 26 candidates will run for the municipal council of Rasnhash, while 29 will run for Chatin’s council. Eleven candidates are running for the first municipal council elections in Metn’s Ain al-Kharroubeh. The new council will consist of nine members. In Nabatieh, 107 candidates will run for municipal council in the towns of Kfar Sir, Harouf, Arab Salim and Zawtar al-Gharbieh. Meanwhile, 46 candidates will run for towns in Jezzine, while 107 will run for the Sidon district. In Akkar's Kfar Harra and Khirbet Char new members of the municipal councils won unopposed. The NNA reported that Akkar Gov. Imad Labaki extended the deadline to submit candidacies for two mukhtar councils as the number of candidates was not sufficient to fill the vacant seats. In Bsharri, 18 people are running to fill the Brahliun municipal council. While in Aley, 47 candidates are running for the municipal councils of Qmatieh, Deir Qoubel and Selfaya. Sixteen candidates are running to fill nine seats in Zgharta’s Kfar Haoura – a new municipality. Meanwhile, 28 candidates are running to fill the nine-member municipal council for Toula and Aslout. Seven members will represent Toula and the other two are for Aslout. Five more are running to fill a vacant mukhtar seat in Toula, while two are running for the same post in Aslout. In Baalbeck, 204 candidates are competing for seven municipalities. Twelve out of these candidates won unopposed for the municipal council of Maarboun. Two mukhtars also won unopposed for two neighborhoods in Baalbeck, while two others will compete for the mukhtar seat in Tfail. Two mukhtars and two mukhtar council members in Rashaya’s Ain Ata won unopposed. The NNA reported that a political agreement was reached between the Progressive Socialist Party and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, which both have political influence in the area, to divide the 12-seat municipal council among them. The agreement states that the PSP will get the mayor's post along with six council members, while the SSNP will be given the deputy mayor's post in addition to four members, according to the NNA.