Lebanese Parliament Vice President Elias Bou Saab on Wednesday hinted at possible “technical delay” of parliamentary elections scheduled for May, calling for a “political consensus” on diaspora voting.
Talking to reporters after a meeting with President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Presidential Palace, Bou Saab said that elections might not take place “before August” if re-registration of voters in diaspora voting proves necessary.
“We discussed the parliamentary elections and obstacles standing in the way, because disputes and confrontations will not lead to elections being held,” Bou Saab said.
He stressed that elections and amendments to the electoral law “cannot happen without political consensus.”
“There is an inclination to re-open the deadlines, which will anyhow lead to a technical postponement of the elections.”
Lebanese political powers are in disagreement over the diaspora vote. There have been calls to amend the electoral law in a bid to allow Lebanese abroad to vote for all 128 parliamentary seats (current law allows expatriates to vote for seven seats).
Amal Movement and Hezbollah, among other parties oppose amending the diaspora vote, stressing that such move contradicts with the principle of equal opportunities, especially that Hezbollah resistance party is banned and does not enjoy the campaigning freedom that the other parties have abroad, especially in Western countries.
Source: Lebanese media (translated and edited by Al-Manar)