Lebanon Faces International Pressure to Hold Elections on Time

Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri heads a parliamentary session, to discuss the new cabinet's policy program and hold a vote of confidence at UNESCO palace in Beirut, Lebanon September 20, 2021. (Reuters)
Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri heads a parliamentary session, to discuss the new cabinet's policy program and hold a vote of confidence at UNESCO palace in Beirut, Lebanon September 20, 2021. (Reuters)
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Lebanon Faces International Pressure to Hold Elections on Time

Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri heads a parliamentary session, to discuss the new cabinet's policy program and hold a vote of confidence at UNESCO palace in Beirut, Lebanon September 20, 2021. (Reuters)
Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri heads a parliamentary session, to discuss the new cabinet's policy program and hold a vote of confidence at UNESCO palace in Beirut, Lebanon September 20, 2021. (Reuters)

Lebanon’s political parties have expressed contradictory positions on the fate of next year’s parliamentary elections.

Th term of the current legislature ends on May 21.

The Strong Lebanon parliamentary bloc, headed by MP Gebran Bassil, is preparing to file an appeal before the Constitutional Council against amendments to the electoral law, including a change of date of the elections, which are set for March 27.

Minister of Interior Bassam Mawlawi is meanwhile expected to sign a decree calling on the electoral bodies to participate in the voting process. The decree will then be signed by Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who in turn, will send it to President Michel Aoun for his final approval.

However, speculation is rife over the possibility that the president would delay signing the decree, pending the decision of the Constitutional Council regarding the challenge submitted by Bassil, Aoun’s son-in-law.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, political sources questioned whether the required quorum would be secured for the convening of the Council, meaning the presence of eight out of ten judges, who are equally distributed between Muslims and Christians. The sources stressed in this regard that confessional and sectarian divisions could also affect the positions within the Council.

According to the sources, accepting the appeal within the legal period of one month from the date of its submission would not impede the elections. They explained that such acceptance would remain within the limits of setting another date for the polls.

By signing the decree pertaining to the electoral bodies, Mikati intends to pass an irrevocable message to the international community about his determination to hold the elections on time, in compliance with his government’s ministerial statement and his commitment to the pledges made in this regard.

Therefore, the parliamentary elections cannot be separated - according to the same sources - from the political rift that was behind the crisis in Lebanese-Gulf relations, which requires the government to adopt a comprehensive approach to mend them.

Moreover, although the elections are an opportunity for re-establishing the current ruling authority, most of the so-called “political class” has not concealed its concern over the results that may see them lose seats at parliament even though the opposition has yet to unify and organize its ranks.

According to the sources, failure to hold the parliamentary elections would pit Lebanon against the international community, which has expressed its opposition to the ruling class extending the term of parliament.

Should the term be extended, the international community may respond by imposing sanctions on the involved parties.



Jordan Describes Shooting near Israeli Embassy as ‘Terrorist Attack’

Police vehicles on a street near the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Jehad Shelbak
Police vehicles on a street near the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Jehad Shelbak
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Jordan Describes Shooting near Israeli Embassy as ‘Terrorist Attack’

Police vehicles on a street near the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Jehad Shelbak
Police vehicles on a street near the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Jehad Shelbak

Jordan described Sunday’s shooting near the heavily fortified Israeli embassy in the capital Amman as a “terrorist attack”.
Jordan's communications minister, Mohamed Momani, said the shooting is a “terrorist attack” that targeted public security forces in the country. He said in a statement that investigations into the incident were under way.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, security sources described the incident as “an individual and isolated act, unrelated to any organized groups”.
The sources added that preliminary investigations indicated that the attacker was “under the influence of drugs”.
A gunman was dead and three Jordanian policemen were injured after the shooting near the Israeli embassy in Sunday's early hours, a security source and state media said.
Police shot a gunman who had fired at a police patrol in the affluent Rabiah neighborhood of the Jordanian capital, the state news agency Petra reported, citing public security, adding investigations were ongoing.
The gunman, who was carrying an automatic weapon, was chased for at least an hour before he was cornered and killed just before dawn, according to a security source.
"Tampering with the security of the nation and attacking security personnel will be met with a firm response," Momani told Reuters, adding that the gunman had a criminal record in drug trafficking.
Jordanian police cordoned off an area near the heavily policed embassy after gunshots were heard, witnesses said. Two witnesses said police and ambulances rushed to the Rabiah district, where the embassy is located.
The area is a flashpoint for frequent demonstrations against Israel.