Officials on Wednesday praised efforts to quell the Metn by-election controversy. Industry Minister George Frem hailed President Emile Lahoud’s handling of the by-election that saw Gabriel Murr triumph over Myrna Murr in the race for the Orthodox parliamentary seat.
Speaking at an exhibition, Frem said, “now that democracy has won Tuesday,” it was important to focus on economic issues.
Similarly, Minister of State Michel Pharaon expressed relief over the results of the Sunday by-election, saying the country had successfully averted turmoil. In a statement, he praised “the wisdom and rationality of state officials in handling the by-election’s problems.” He expressed hope “this matter can be put behind us now that it has reached its end.” Pharaon called the debates raised by it a “sign of health and transparency.”
Deputy Premier Issam Fares congratulated Gabriel Murr on his victory, saying the by-election proved “the Lebanese ­ those in power and those outside it ­ and especially the president of the republic, are all attached to freedom and democracy.” He said it was the duty of every Lebanese to help reduce tension among Metn residents due to the controversy over vote counts.
Beirut MP Jean Hogasapian welcomed the result, saying in a statement the victory of the opposition candidate had “brought the political situation back to its normal dimension.”
The France-based Rally for Lebanon praised the result in a statement from Paris, flaying the authorities for their failed attempt to “confiscate democracy and freedom of speech in trying to get Myrna Murr, the Syrian-backed candidate, to win.” It said the opposition victory was due to its “staunch resistance against determined attempts by Syria’s supporters to falsify results and intimidate voters.”

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