Permission Required for Election Day Reporting: Hezbollah
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Media outlets will be required to coordinate with Hezbollah if they wish to take photos or videos in districts dominated by the Lebanese resistance movement over the course of Election Day, a party source said Friday.
“Please note that covering the elections inside the voting centers requires previous permission from the Interior Ministry, whereas any (camera) shooting outside these centers in any of Hezbollah’s districts needs to be coordinated through our office,” a statement received by The Daily Star read.
When contacted for details, a spokesperson at Hezbollah’s media office clarified that the movement has no jurisdiction over media inside the voting centers.
“But in and around the streets of Baalbeck-Hermel, (Beirut’s southern suburbs) and south Lebanon” permission will be required if reporters wish to take photos or videos.
“This is obviously a security measure,” the spokesperson said.
Lebanon is heading for its first parliamentary elections in nine years. On May 6, more than 3.6 million registered voters in the country will be eligible to choose among 583 candidates competing for 128 parliamentary seats. The candidates are spread across 77 lists in 15 districts, which have 27 sub-districts.
