Aley MP Talal Arslan said Thursday that the municipal elections would take place in Shoueifat as scheduled, as it was not possible to make a coalition list.

Speaking to reporters after conferring with Orthodox Bishop Elias Aoude in Beirut, Arslan said that the elections in Shoueifat were inevitable. "After all, this is a democratic game, as far as I am concerned. The most important thing is to achieve a political balance, starting with Beirut," Arslan, accompanied by senior members of his party, the Lebanese Democratic Party, said.

The MP added that long-standing political accommodations should be preserved throughout the country, starting with Beirut.

In answer to another question about the possibility of more election-related tension in Shoueifat, Arslan said the tension had ended.

"There were some skirmishes and we were able to put that behind us now," the MP said.

Last week, there was an exchange of fire between members of the Lebanese Democratic Party and others from the Progressive Socialist Party  in Shoueifat. There were no victims, but the incident did cause material damage. The army deployed in the city and imposed law and order by force.

In answer to another question about Beirut municipal elections, Arslan said that talks were underway among all parties concerned to reach consensus in the capital.

His feud with the PSP comes from his competition with Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt for the leadership of the Druze community in the country.