Phalangist candidate wins 60% of vote in poll for Metn MP
Sunday, 31 December, 2006 @ 5:04 PM
Beirut- A poll conducted by IPSOS-STAT shows that if elections were held today for the replacement of former MP and Minister Pierre Gemayel then the winner would be the Phalangist ( Kataeb ) party candidate with 60 % of the vote against 32 % for the candidate of General Aoun ( FPM). IPSOS conducted the study , because the seat of the assassinated MP and minister of industry Pierre Gemayel should have been filled within 60 days from the date of his murder. The poll was conducted between December 14 and Dec 23 using a random sampling of 1000 people over the age of 21 from 72 towns and villages in the northern Metn region of Mount Lebanon.

IPSOS poll revealed the following breakdown:

60 % Phalangist ( Kataeb) party candidate
32 % General Aoun's candidate (FPM)
7 % undecided
1% declined to take part in the polls

IPSOS poll also revealed the following breakdown based on religious affiliation:

Sunnites
74% Phalangist ( Kataeb) party candidate
15 % General Aoun's candidate
11% declined to take part in the polls

Shiites
9% Phalangist ( Kataeb ) party candidate
91 % General Aoun's candidate

Druze
78% Phalangist ( Kataeb ) party candidate
22 % General Aoun's candidate

Christian Maronites
69 % Phalangist ( Kataeb ) party candidate
27 % General Aoun's candidate
4 % undecided

Catholics
64 % Phalangist ( Kataeb ) party candidate
27 % General Aoun's candidate
9 % undecided

Rome Orthodox
47 % Phalangist ( Kataeb ) party candidate
47 % General Aoun's candidate
6 % undecided

Armenians
54 % Phalangist ( Kataeb ) party candidate
31 % General Aoun's candidate
14 % undecided
1% declined to take part in the polls

Minorities
71 % Phalangist ( Kataeb ) party candidate
22 % General Aoun's candidate
7 % undecided

The results are a major blow for General Aoun , since it shows that by aligning himself with Hezbollah he received the support of the Shiites but lost the support of the majority of the Lebanese.

Source: LBC, Ya Libnan