Electoral law: Government refers reform debate to joint committees

The Cabinet, chaired by Nawaf Salam at the Grand Serail, began around 3 p.m. and was marked, two hours later, by the withdrawal of Justice Minister Adel Nassar. Nassar left at the moment when proposals and amendments to the electoral law were being discussed.

Contacted by L’Orient-Le Jour just after leaving the session, Nassar indicated that “the discussions were about a bill that would replace the magnetic card [for remote voting] with the use of a QR code [quick response code], without mentioning the vote of expatriates for the 128 deputies of the Lebanese Parliament.” “Personally, I am against that. That's why I decided to withdraw,” he added. Nassar specified that he withdrew “very politely and without any harsh exchange with the prime minister.”

During its meeting, the Lebanese government tasked the interior minister with informing the joint parliamentary committees of the shortcomings of the current electoral law and proposing solutions, either by amending the existing law or by adopting a new one.

Information Minister Paul Morcos specified, while reading out the Cabinet's decisions, that Salam expressed regret over the justice minister’s departure from the session. He also underlined that Salam emphasized the importance of allowing Lebanese residing abroad to vote, in order to ensure fair representation of all categories of society.

Finally, the Cabinet announced approval to integrate 500 new members, both men and women, into the General Directorate of State Security. 

During its meeting, the government also continued reviewing the draft budget for 2026, presented by Finance Minister Yassin Jaber. According to Morcos, Salam insisted that the budget examination should be done “with a view to increasing revenues and reducing unnecessary expenses.”