Following media reports that the US Ambassador to Lebanon Mr. Jeffrey Feltman has attempted to enter some polling stations in Beirut, The US Embassy in Lebanon issued the following media notice:

The Embassy of the United States of America deeply regrets that Lebanese journalists have repeated a story that has no basis in fact about the activities of U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman.

At no point during the Beirut elections on Sunday did Ambassador Feltman enter a polling station or talk to people heading to, or coming from, voting.

Senator Joseph Biden, Democratic Senator from the State of Delaware, visited Beirut on Saturday and Sunday. In between meetings with Lebanese officials, Senator Biden, with the cooperation of the Government of Lebanon, visited one single polling station in Ashrafieh. While Ambassador Feltman was with Senator Biden all day on Sunday, when Senator Biden went to the polling station, Ambassador Feltman chose to remain outside.

This is not the first time that Lebanese journalists have reported erroneously on the activities of Ambassador Feltman and other Embassy personnel. We encourage Lebanese journalists to contact the Embassy's Public Affairs Section so that their stories may, in the future, better reflect the actual facts.

Parliamentary Elections in Lebanon

Meanwhile, Richard Boucher, US State Department spokesman issued a statement, issued a statement congratutlaltinig the Lebanese people on Parliamentary Elections in Lebanon. He said: 

"We congratulate the people of Lebanon on the successful and largely peaceful conduct of the first round of parliamentary elections yesterday.  This is an important first step in fulfilling the aspirations of the Lebanese people for a sovereign and democratic government.  We acknowledge the essential role that Lebanese domestic observers and the UN technical team played along with international election observers , including those from the European Union.  We and the international community will continue to support this critical democratic process as the Lebanese government moves forward with preparations for the conduct of subsequent election rounds, which will be held on June 5, June 12, and June 19."