Motorcycle riders queue at a gas station in Beirut, June 2023. (Credit: João Sousa/L'Orient Today)
The Interior and Municipalities Minister in Lebanon issued a decision on Thursday to ban the movement of motorcycles across all Lebanese regions in conjunction with the municipal elections taking place in the relevant governorates. Additionally, the Ministry released a circular regarding the enforcement of the electoral silence period. The state-run National News Agency reported the decisions on Thursday.
The Interior Ministry also issued a circular regarding the electoral silence period.
The circular states that "an electoral silence period is enforced starting midnight on the day preceding the elections and continuing until the closure of the ballot boxes. During this period, all media outlets are prohibited from broadcasting any direct electoral advertisements or campaigns, except for unavoidable sound or images that may appear during live coverage of the electoral process. On election day, media coverage is limited to reporting on the conduct of the electoral process only."
The last municipal elections in Lebanon were held in 2016, and councils were elected for six years. The election has since been postponed three times, in 2022, 2023 and 2024. As a result, a significant number of municipal councils have resigned or are unable to effectively perform their duties due to a lack of financial and human resources.
In February, Beirut's governor, Marwan Abboud, decided to ban motorcycles from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. within Beirut's administrative area. The governor's decision followed an increase in robberies and pickpockets in Lebanon, often carried out using motorcycles.