Lebanon to vote in first election since financial meltdown

Vehicles drive past billboards depicting Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, ahead of parliamentary election, in Beirut, Lebanon May 13, 2022. REUTERS/Aziz Taher

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese vote on Sunday in the first election since their country's economic collapse, a test of whether Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies can preserve their parliamentary majority amidst soaring poverty and anger at ruling parties.

Expectations are however low for a big shake-up of Lebanon's sectarian politics and government, despite the severity of a crisis which the World Bank says was orchestrated by the ruling class, and fury over the devastating Beirut port blast of 2020.