Two Lebanon Parliament Seats Filled

A pro-Syrian candidate Monday won the seat in Lebanon’s Parliament that had been held by Pierre Gemayel, a Cabinet minister killed in a 2006 car bombing.

Kamil Khoury, who had the backing of Hezbollah ally Michel Aoun, defeated Gemayel’s father, former president Amin Gemayel, by 418 votes out of more than 75,000 cast, The Washington Post reported. Gemayal was supported by anti-Syrian Christian forces, the Maronite church and the pro-western group called the March 14 alliance, the newspaper said.

Meanwhile, pro-government candidate Mohammed al-Amin Itani won a seat in Parliament, replacing Walid Eido, who died in a June bombing, CNN reported. They are members of a faction led by Saad Hariri, son of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri who was killed in 2005.