Aoun remains committed to holding elections on schedule

BEIRUT — President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday reaffirmed his commitment to holding parliamentary elections on schedule during a meeting in Baabda Presdiential Palace with MPs from the National Moderation bloc — Mohammad Sleiman, Sajih Attieh, and Ahmad Kheir — accompanied by former MP Hadi Hobeish.

In a statement, the presidency said the head of state "informed the delegation that his position remains firm regarding holding the parliamentary elections on the scheduled dates" in May, despite looming concerns of a possible postponement due to political tensions surrounding voting procedures for expatriates.

This key poll for Lebanese parliamentary democracy is set for May 10 for resident Lebanese, while expatriates are due to vote a week earlier, on May 3. The issue of expatriate voting continues to divide Parliament.

Led by the Lebanese Forces, parties in favor of amending the electoral law are pushing for expatriates to vote for all 128 MPs, as in the previous two elections, rather than for six additional seats reserved for the diaspora, as stipulated by the 2017 electoral law. The latter option is supported by the Hezbollah-Amal alliance, under the leadership of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

Earlier in January, Aoun himself had raised the possibility of a "technical" postponement of the elections, stating in an interview with Télé-Liban that, "One, two months or more does not constitute a postponement."

Separately, Aoun underlined "the need to intensify efforts to consolidate security and stability in the South following the Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and the full deployment of the army to the border." He also reiterated to the parliamentary delegation that the government's decision on the arms monopoly was "irrevocable."

The discussions also touched on the needs of the Akkar region, where the MPs are from. The president assured that preparations are underway to reopen Rene Moawad Airport in Qleiaat to air traffic once the necessary operational procedures are complete. He reaffirmed his ongoing commitment to addressing the region’s needs in health, education, and development.

At the end of the meeting, MP Sleiman said the National Moderation bloc supported the head of state “particularly regarding the monopoly on arms, the deployment of the Lebanese Army across the entire territory, the implementation of economic and financial reforms, as well as decisions aimed at reintegrating Lebanon into the international community and the Arab world.”

Sleiman called for "speeding up the operationalization of Qleiaat airport and reopening the Lebanese University branch in Akkar." He urged for the reopening of border crossings connecting Lebanon to Syria from this region, which he said would “revitalize the economies of Akkar and the North.”

"We also discussed the situation of officers, soldiers, and civil servants in general, stressing the need to end their hardships and guarantee their rights as soon as possible," he added.

Earlier in January, the National Moderation bloc was abandoned by two of its members, MPs Walid Baarini and Ahmad Rustom, in the wake of controversy involving the group in the "fake Saudi prince Abu Omar" affair.