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afp
Beirut
As its first parliamentary vote in nearly a decade approaches, Lebanon has been swept into campaign fever: posters on every corner, televised debates, and neighbours bickering over new electoral procedures.
Stakes are high in the long-awaited May 6 poll, the first test of Lebanon's 2017 voting law, that will carve out the country's political and economic trajectory for years to come.
Voters and candidates alike are eager for polling to start, nearly 10 years after the last parliamentary elections in June 2009.
The 128 lawmakers elected back then have extended their mandate three times, citing potential spillover from the war in neighbouring Syria and an unsatisfactory voting law.
But after years of deadlock, Lebanon's politicians agreed to elect a president, form a government and move towards a complex new ballot system, paving the way for next month's historic vote.
"It's a new electoral experience for Lebanon," said Imad Salamey, a professor of political science at Beirut's Lebanese American University.
The next parliament will select Lebanon's future prime minister and legislate on major social and economic issues, while attempting to keep sectarian tensions in check.
"The stakes in this election are quite high due to the delicate balance of power between the different sectarian groups in the country," Salamey said.
The country of just over four million is governed by a power-sharing agreement that leaves little to chance, with parliament equally divided between Muslims and Christians then further split among different sects.
But the new electoral system, the frustration of young voters and the candidacy of scores of independents have sparked hope for something different.
