Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi has estimated that legislative elections will likely be held next May, Egyptian news agency MENA reported.
While the mandate of the current parliament will end at the end of May and the previous polls took place during this month, the parliament had adopted a law requiring the organization of the poll on March 27. This decision, which was accompanied by the refusal of parliamentarians to create 6 constituencies in favor of Lebanese abroad, had been the subject of strong opposition from the free patriotic current but also from the President. of the Republic who refuses to sign this text for the time being.
Thus, the Minister of the Interior indicates that the ballot will take place next May, unless the President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, signs the decree – already signed by the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior – amending the electoral law and providing for March 27 as election day. This text will still have to be published in the official gazette, 3 months before this date, to become official.
In addition, the Minister of the Interior indicated that he cannot use his prerogatives concerning this file before an agreement between the President of the Republic and his Prime Minister because of the current political crisis situation. He thus wishes to avoid aggravating an already tense situation between the various political parties.
