Supporters wave flags depicting the logo of the Free Patriotic Movement. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — The Free Patriotic Movement’s Strong Lebanon parliamentary bloc once again defended on Tuesday a proposal to set up electoral megacenters for the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for May 15, saying in a statement that those who oppose it fear a massive turnout.
Here’s what we know:
• Megacenters are meant to facilitate voting for people who live far from their place of birth, and therefore their polling place. Megacenters are also a demand of President Michel Aoun, who founded FPM, and is the father-in-law of the party’s current head Gebran Bassil.
• FPM’s statement came after Lebanese Forces head Samir Geagea accused FPM of using the pretext of megacenters to delay the legislative elections.
• In their statement FPM said that "the [electoral] law requires the establishment of megacenters," and that "any attempt to defeat their establishment is aimed at defeating electoral reforms.”
• "The megacenters facilitate the participation of voters. Are those who oppose them against a massive participation in the elections and do they fear the liberation of voters from any constraint?," the statement added.
• The ministerial commission responsible for studying the question of megacenters met on Tuesday for the second consecutive day, without reaching a solution. Also on Tuesday, Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi indicated that a report on megacenters will be presented to cabinet, which will meet on Thursday.