Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam Monday congratulated the Lebanese people for completing the month-long municipal polls

Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam Monday congratulated the Lebanese people for completing the month-long municipal polls, the first elections to take place in the country since 2010.

One day after local polls drew to an end in the north Lebanon governorate and the Akkar district, Salam said the local vote was a “huge victory” which the Lebanese people should build on.

“The Lebanese people have said in one loud voice that they are adamant to express themselves in line with the constitution and justice, which allows them to renew their representatives,” Salam said, the Daily Star reported.

He thanked Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk, the Internal Security Forces and the Army for administrating the municipal elections and providing security for voters across Lebanon.

Salam said that the local elections have renewed a sense of life in the public sphere, which was stuck in a “political coma” for years.

"The Lebanese people have shown their eagerness to preserve our democratic system and its institutions," he added.

The Lebanese premier said that the country’s political factions must build on the success of the municipal elections and elect a president as soon as possible.