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Lebanon: Int’l Pressure to Hold Parliamentary Elections on Time

Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rai met with US Ambassador Dorothy Shea on Friday (NNA).
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rai met with US Ambassador Dorothy Shea on Friday (NNA).
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Lebanon: Int’l Pressure to Hold Parliamentary Elections on Time

Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rai met with US Ambassador Dorothy Shea on Friday (NNA).
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rai met with US Ambassador Dorothy Shea on Friday (NNA).

The International Support Group for Lebanon (ISG) has openly joined forces to push the Lebanese authorities to hold the parliamentary elections on their scheduled date on May 15.

The ISG met in Beirut on Friday to review preparations for the upcoming polls.

Echoing the recent Security Council press statement on Lebanon, and recalling its previous statements, the ISG reiterated its call for free, fair, transparent and inclusive elections, as scheduled on May 15, an official statement said.

It added: “The ISG noted that while the international community was deeply committed to and had provided significant financial, material, technical and political support to Lebanon’s electoral process, the elections are first and foremost a right and expectation of the people of Lebanon and a sovereign responsibility which is incumbent on the authorities to deliver on.”

Three months before the election, the International Support Group urged “expeditious preparatory work respecting the existing legislative framework and the constitutional timelines.”

The ISG also called on the relevant authorities to “promptly make available all the necessary resources and intensify technical and administrative preparations to ensure the timeliness and integrity of the electoral process.”

The ISG brings together representatives of the United Nations and the governments of China, France, Germany, Italy, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, in addition to the European Union and the Arab League. It was launched in September 2013 by the UN Secretary-General with former President Michel Sleiman to help mobilize support and assistance for Lebanon’s stability, sovereignty and state institutions.

In its statement, the ISG urged “relevant bodies to allocate the necessary financial resources to hold the elections in Lebanon and abroad, enable the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities and the Supervisory Commission for Elections to be fully functional, and ensure timely organization for the conduct of the diaspora voting.”

In this context, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rai reiterated the importance of respecting the constitutional deadlines and the necessity of holding the parliamentary and presidential elections on time.

Rai met on Friday with US Ambassador Dorothy Shea, with whom he discussed local, regional and international issues. The patriarch thanked the diplomat for her country’s permanent support for Lebanon and the Lebanese army.

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Baghdad Urges Washington to Prevent ‘Imminent’ Israeli Strikes

Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
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Baghdad Urges Washington to Prevent ‘Imminent’ Israeli Strikes

Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Thursday called on major powers to “exert greater efforts to end the war in Palestine and Lebanon.” Meanwhile, an Iraqi government official urged the United States to “prevent any attacks on the country,” referring to potential Israeli strikes.
During a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Al-Sudani stressed the importance of ensuring the conflict does not escalate “to a level that threatens regional and global stability.”
The Iraqi prime minister’s appeal comes amid reports suggesting that Israel may launch strikes on Iraq in retaliation for attacks by Iraqi armed factions targeting Israeli positions.
The Iraqi government is striving to assert its exclusive authority over weapons and war-related decisions. However, armed factions affiliated with the Axis of Resistance openly claim responsibility for near-daily rocket attacks on Israel. This has provided Israel with a justification for potentially targeting Iraqi territory, especially after it filed a complaint with the UN Security Council against six Iraqi factions and held Baghdad responsible for the attacks.
These factions have also openly declared their involvement in the ongoing conflict with Israel in Lebanon and Gaza. The Iraqi government has been unable to take decisive action to halt the activities of these factions, which many believe could soon expose Iraq to an Israeli strike.
According to media reports, Washington has warned Baghdad that Israeli airstrikes on Iraq are “imminent” unless the Iraqi government curtails attacks by Iranian-backed factions on Israel. The Times of Israel cited sources indicating that the United States has “exhausted all means of pressure on Israel” and urged Iraq to act swiftly to prevent such attacks.
Despite repeated assurances from the Iraqi government—including its recent adoption of 12 measures by the National Security Council to counter Israeli threats and complaints—the situation remains tense. These measures include monitoring Iraq’s western borders, preventing factions from launching attacks, and maintaining Iraq’s neutrality in the ongoing conflict.
On Wednesday, Abu Hussein Al-Hamidawi, Secretary-General of Kata’ib Hezbollah, made a striking statement on the role of resistance factions in the war and their commitment to the Unity of Fronts doctrine frequently mentioned by Axis of Resistance groups.
In an interview published by the faction’s media arm, Al-Hamidawi said: “The continuity of the Unity of Fronts concept depends on what the Lebanese Hezbollah decides.”
Al-Hamidawi also emphasized that resistance factions are constantly coordinating internally and with external partners such as Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Palestinian resistance leaders.
“We aim to ensure that the Palestinian people are not left alone and that the Unity of Fronts remains intact,” he stated.
Fadi Al-Shammari, a political advisor to Sudani, reiterated that Israel’s threats “are not new,” citing the recent complaint filed by Israel with the UN Security Council as part of its pattern of issuing threats.
In media statements, Al-Shammari reaffirmed the Iraqi government’s long-standing position: “The decision of war and peace lies solely with the Iraqi government.”
He noted that the factions’ attacks are being launched from areas outside Iraq’s borders, specifically from Syria. However, he stressed that the Iraqi government is working through its security and military agencies to prevent Iraq from becoming a battlefield for external or internal parties.
Al-Shammari also called on the United States to fulfill its responsibilities under the Strategic Framework Agreement and security pact with Iraq, emphasizing the need to deter and respond to any external attacks that threaten Iraq’s internal security.