Polls open in Lebanon for general elections

Lebanese people will go to the polls to vote in an election which will pit Hezbollah against the current US-backed majority in Lebanon's parliament.

Tight security precautions have been taken to prevent tensions in the small Mediterranean country, as polls will be open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm (0400 GMT to 1600 GMT).

50,000 soldiers and police have been deployed across the country to secure the environment for 3.2 million people eligible to vote in the country.

daily news More than 200 international observers from the EU and other institutions and countries will observe the election.

A tight race is predicted between the US-backed 14 March alliance, which has a small majority in parliament, and its main rival, Hezbollah-led bloc.

According to Lebanon's complex power-sharing system, the 128 seats in the parliament should be equally divided between Christians and Muslims.

The country's parliament speaker should also be a Shia Muslim, as the president must be a Maronite Christian and the prime minister a Sunni Muslim