Saad Hariri, the son of Rafik Hariri, the murdered former Prime Minister of Lebanon, swept parliamentary elections in Beirut, according to official results announced today in the first round of a four-stage general election that will end Syria’s 15-year domination of Lebanon.

The elections are the first since 1990 to be free of Syrian interference. About 100 observers from the United Nations and European Union were in Lebanon, the first time that a Lebanese Government has permitted international monitoring.

Riding a sympathy vote, candidates led by Mr Hariri won all 19 seats in the Beirut polls. The election is seen as a tribute to the leader whose February assassination triggered international anger and street protests that ultimately drove the Syrian army out of Lebanon.

Lebanon's Interior Minister, Hassan Sabei, announcing the official results at a news conference, said all ten contested seats were won by Mr Hariri and allies

Turnout for the elections was low in Beirut, at about 27 per cent of the 473,652 eligible voters, compared with 35 per cent in the 2000 parliamentary elections. The weak turnout reflected public dissatisfaction amid calls for a boycott, complaints that the ticket of Mr Hariri, a Sunni Muslim, lacked representation of political factions, and the lack of challengers in some constituencies. Television stations reported the boycott was strong in Christian areas.

The European Union observer mission issued a statement saying that voting was "calm and orderly" although there were a few cases of voter intimidation.

Mr Hariri and his allies had begun celebrating even before the official results were announced. Hundreds of Hariri supporters danced and cheered outside the family’s palatial residence in Beirut’s Koreitem neighbourhood on Sunday night as returns tallied by his campaign showed the Hariri slate winning Beirut’s ten contested seats.

Huge banners featuring a beaming Mr Hariri were suspended above streets in West Beirut carrying the slogan "Maak", Arabic for "With you". Many posters portrayed Mr Hariri superimposed on a picture of his father. One bore the slogan: "He who fathers children lives on."

Mr Hariri voted early with his two brothers and called for a large turnout, saying "each ballot is a bullet fired at Rafik Hariri’s assassins".

Rafik Hariri’s widow, Nazek, read a statement after casting her vote, saying: "My husband had the honour of rebuilding Lebanon after the civil war and reuniting the whole nation in a true reconciliation for peaceful coexistence with his blood." Hundreds of Hariri supporters danced and cheered outside the family’s residence in the Koreitem neighbourhood.

Security was high in the city and paramilitary police stood guard at polling stations. Minibuses hired by candidates carried voters to cast their votes. Cars plastered in campaign posters and pictures of election candidates raced up and down the streets.

Despite the euphoria of the anti-Syrian demonstrations this year, many Lebanese have grown disillusioned. Instead of tackling pressing issues, such as the moribund Lebanese economy, disarming the militant group Hezbollah, redressing relations with Syria and pushing through long-awaited reforms, the political elite has resorted to the customary haggling over the distribution of power and influence.

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