The issue of postponing municipal and elective elections dominated the general situation, as Speaker Nabih Berri called for a legislative session to be held before noon next Tuesday to discuss an agenda, including proposals for parliamentary laws to extend the parliament’s current mandate for four months or a year, while, ironically, Prime Minister Najib Mikati called for a convening A session of the Council of Ministers, also on Tuesday afternoon, to discuss an agenda of nine items, including the request of the Ministry of Interior to cover the expenses of holding the elections, which shows a kind of “lifting the blame” given that the government is carrying out its duty as is the parliament. However, even if the financial funds for the elections are approved, it is not easy to provide them during next May of this year, and it is also not easy to prepare all the logistical requirements for holding them within two weeks, if we count the official holidays during April and May.
And the information of the “brigade” from parliamentary sources indicated that the agenda of the legislative session is limited to two items out of five law proposals: two from Elias Bou Saab and from Jihad al-Samad and Sejai Attia, for extension to municipalities. And three proposals to amend some articles of the Public Procurement Law, especially in terms of facilitating the work of municipalities.
The sources indicated that it is possible that in the legislative session a maximum limit for the extension will be set until May 31, 2024, provided that the elections take place before that if the government is able to provide funds and logistical matters in full.
Member of the office, Representative Hadi Abu Al-Hassan, confirmed: We will attend the legislative session and we are forced to vote with the extension so as not to disrupt people’s lives, after what we hoped for the elections to be held on time did not materialize. We hope that the extension will be limited to 4 months.
Parliamentary sources told Al-Liwa that holding the two sessions during the same day is not a problem, as the government has the duty to provide funding for the municipal elections, regardless of the date they were held. And she is obliged to take all the steps required to make it happen.
