Entrance to the Constitutional Council. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — The Constitutional Council ruled Thursday on five of the 15 appeals to invalidate the election results of last May's parliamentary elections in Lebanon, which had been submitted to the institution in June. All five appeals were rejected. Appeals were filed by:
. Ibrahim Azar against Charbel Massaad and Said Asmar (South I - Lebanese Forces)
. Marwan Kheireddine and the deputies and candidates of the Amal-Hezbollah list (Mohammad Raad, Hani Kobeissi, Nasser Jaber, Ali Hassan Khalil, Ali Fayad, Kassem Hachem, Assaad Hardan, Hassan Fadlallah, Ayoub Hmayed, and Ashraf Beydoun) against Firas Hamdan (South III - Forces of change)
. Paul Hamod against Elias Khoury (North II - Lebanese Forces)
. Mohammad Mahmoud against Bilal Houchaymi (Bekaa I-Zahle - Future Party, list supported by the Lebanese Forces)
. Tanios Mahfoud against Jamil Abboud (North II-Tripoli - Independent)
Fifteen appeals for the invalidation of the results of the May legislative elections were presented in June to the Constitutional Council. While the judicial body is not bound by a deadline to deliver its verdicts, it will decide on the fate of the remaining appeals by the end of this month, i.e. before the end of President Michel Aoun's term on Oct. 31, a source close to the Council told L'Orient-Le Jour.
This plan is designed to maximize the chances of electing a president by members whose position is not tainted by irregularities, the source explained.