UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was very encouraged by the democratic conduct of the first round of the Lebanese parliamentary elections, a UN spokesman said on Tuesday.

The secretary-general "commends the government of Lebanon for its efforts to ensure that the elections take place on schedule and in a free and credible manner," the spokesman told reporters.

"These elections constitute a major opportunity for the Lebanese people to shape their own future, to strengthen their political institutions and to restore their full sovereignty," he added.

Annan expressed the hope that the remaining rounds of the elections will take place in the same peaceful atmosphere.

The United Nations' electoral team, currently in Lebanon, " stands ready to extend its further support and expertise, as and if required," the spokesman said.

Lebanon's four-part legislative elections started in Beirut on Sunday, with the balloting continuing on three consecutive Sundays in other regions. The opposition party led by the son of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri claimed a sweeping victory in Beirut, winning the capital's all 19 seats.

Source: Xinhua