Sunday was a fateful day, especially for the young Lebanese.

Would a parliament be elected that inspires hope: for vital reforms and change?

To the disappearance of the culture of impunity that has formed an insurmountable protective wall for the ruling power cartel?

The country, plundered by the political class, is about to collapse.

The godfathers of the country's politics are still thwarting the investigation into the explosion disaster of August 4, 2020 in the port of Beirut, which devastated several quarters of the capital and killed more than 200 people.

Christopher Ehrhardt

Correspondent for the Arab countries based in Beirut.

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Paul Naggear's little daughter was one of those killed. For him it is clear: If everything stays the same, if those responsible are not held accountable even after the election, then he would finally turn his back on his homeland.

“This choice stands between us and justice,” he says.

Naggear wasn't sure on Monday, the count was still going on.

On Sunday evening, work was sometimes done with emergency lighting because the power went out again.

But Naggear felt all was not lost.

"It went better than we feared."

However, the first figures that became known on the evening of the election showed a lack of interest.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, voter turnout was 41 percent and thus still below that of 2018. Some even turned the boycott of the election into an event: supporters of the former Sunni Prime Minister Saad Hariri built a bright yellow plastic paddling pool the width of a street in a simple-people district of Beirut and invited to the pool party.

Nothing will change anyway, they said.

Hariri smiled down at the scene from a portrait.

At the end of January he withdrew his “future movement” from the election campaign.

Hariri is not known as a far-sighted strategist, but by calling for a boycott he had at least joined the strongest camp: that of the sullen.

On election day, thugs were up to mischief

For those running as independent change candidates, the news of the low turnout was bad at first.

Usually this helps the established forces with an organized following and well-stocked campaign coffers.

They not only benefit from the complicated electoral law that is tailored to their retention of power.

Many of the Lebanese godfathers control their clientele like feudal lords.

The heavily armed Shiite organization Hizbullah in particular can rely on dead obedience and dependency.

And fear.