Arms monopoly and parliamentary elections: Rai and Hajjar discuss 'national issues'

BEIRUT — Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar met Tuesday with Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai to discuss two major national issues: diaspora voting in the upcoming elections and the state’s control over weapons.

Before leaving Bkerkeh, Hajjar said that his meeting with the head of the Maronite Church focused “on national issues” and gave the prelate “an idea of the general situation the country is experiencing, particularly security in Lebanon and developments on the southern border.”

The interior minister updated the patriarch “on the efforts made by the Lebanese state to pull Lebanon out of its crises, whether economic or related to daily Israeli attacks and occupation.”

He especially highlighted keeping the dignitary informed of the implementation of various points from Nawaf Salam’s Cabinet’s ministerial declaration, including “extending the authority of the state over all Lebanese territory and applying the army’s plan in that regard.”

The army is soon expected to submit a report to the government on the progress made in disarming militias and Hezbollah.

On the parliamentary elections scheduled for next May, Hajjar expressed a “unanimous will” to hold the elections on time, despite tensions over the issue of diaspora voting, on which Bechara Rai has taken a clear stance several times.

The patriarch has sided with the political forces calling for amending the 2017 electoral law to allow the diaspora to vote for the same candidates as Lebanese citizens in the country, rather than for six seats reserved for expatriates. During his meeting with the minister, Rai said emigrants should have “the right to vote as they deserve and as was the case in 2018 and 2022.”

Hajjar specified in this context that “the ministerial committee tasked by the Council of Ministers to study this issue is set to meet during the day to review the different draft laws.”

Hajjar and the patriarch also discussed the murder of young Elio Abou Hanna, killed by a Palestinian armed patrol in the Chatila camp, south of Beirut, on Oct. 26. “This case is being seriously investigated, and the president personally became involved, which led to several suspects being handed over to the security services,” the minister noted, indicating others may still be arrested.

“The security services are working with the utmost seriousness to solve this crime,” he assured.