The municipal election in Kfaraaqa took on a significant political dimension. While some emphasized the local and familial aspect of the battle, others viewed it as a “presidential wrestle” between the Free Patriotic Movement and the Marada Movement. The list backed by the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces won a majority of ten seats in the local council while the rival list secured five in what was described as a heated electoral battle.
2010 Elections
Two lists competed for municipal office in 2010:
- Kfaraaqa, Solidarity and Development: the list was backed by the head of the municipality Fares Boulos, the Lebanese Forces and MP Farid Mkari.
- Kfaraaqa for All: the list was backed by the Free Patriotic Movement, the Marada Movement and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.
The first list won the elections by securing 53% of the vote (an average of 809 votes) while its rival gained an average of 617 votes or 40.5% of the vote. The margin between the lowest vote-gainer among winners and the highest vote-gainer among losers was 44 votes.
2016 Elections
The alliances formed in 2010 changed in 2016 and the two lists that contested the elections were the following:
- “Kfaraaqa Brings us Together”, a list headed by Elias Sassine and endorsed by the Free Patriotic Movement, the Lebanese Forces and the Phalanges.
- “Kfaraaqa, My Town and Belonging”, a list headed by Philip Boulos and backed by the Marada Movement, Deputy Speaker Farid Mkari and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.
“Kfaraaqa Brings us Together” gained an average of 899 votes (48% of the total vote), thus securing ten seats in the municipal council against five for the rival list, which garnered 44.8% of the vote, i.e. an average of 839 votes.
