Lebanese vote in key parliamentary election

People in Lebanon have flocked to polling stations to vote in an election that pits the ruling Western-backed coalition against a Hezbollah-led bloc.

A tight race is predicted between the US-backed 14 March alliance, which has a small majority in parliament, and its rivals, supported by Syria and Iran.

Lebanon's Christian community is split between the two camps.

Analysts say the result could depend on which Christian politicians are elected in a few key constituencies.

Polls across Lebanon opened at 0400 GMT and will close at 1600 GMT. Some three million people are eligible to cast ballots.

About 50,000 security personnel have been deployed to prevent violence - although none has been reported so far.

Initial results are expected late on Sunday.

Outside interference

Former US President Jimmy Carter, who heads a team of international observers, said Lebanese parties - and their foreign backers - should accept the result of the vote.

"I don't have any concerns over the conduct of the elections. I have concerns over the acceptance of the results by all the major parties," Mr Carter said at a polling station in Beirut.

Lines of cars, some waving flags of various political parties, were on the move from the early hours as voters turned out in numbers to cast their ballots.

Many polling stations were besieged by long lines of people, especially in Christian areas, reports the BBC's Jim Muir in the capital, Beirut.

"We are voting so that the Lebanese can decide their own fate," said Fadia Saade, 37, as she waited in line to cast her ballot in the town of Jounieh north of Beirut. "We don't want any outside interference."

Voting in his home town in the district of Jbeil, north of Beirut, President Michel Suleiman urged people to turn out to vote - "an important act that should be done calmly and with joy so that afterwards we can start to build Lebanon".

"Democracy is a blessing that we must preserve, a blessing that distinguishes Lebanon in the Middle East," Mr Suleiman said.

The leader of the current parliamentary majority, Saad Hariri, hailed a "great day for democracy, a great day for Lebanon" as he cast his ballot in Beirut.

Under Lebanon's power-sharing political system, seats in 128-member parliament are split equally between Christians and Muslims, with further sub-divisions for various sects.

Our correspondent says competition is particularly fierce in Christian constituencies, with the Christian vote split evenly.

Hezbollah is fielding only 11 candidates, though it is a powerful member of the broader opposition coalition, which includes the maverick Christian leader Michel Aoun, and the mainstream Shia movement Amal.

As such, Western fears of a Hezbollah "takeover" do not really fit the bill, our correspondent adds.

Analyst say the outcome is likely to be a broad-based coalition government.

The current majority in parliament was swept to power in 2005, following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in a car bombing in Beirut.

The bombing forced Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon after a 29-year presence amid accusations of Syrian involvement in the attack.

The government in Damascus has strongly denied the claims.