Place de l’Étoile, where the Lebanese Parliament is located, on Feb. 19, 2026. (Credit: Illustrative photo by Mohammad Yassine)
BEIRUT — The Interior Ministry rejected Abbas Fawaz's candidacy for May’s parliamentary elections, a ministry source told L'Orient-Le Jour."
"The ministry is unable to accept this candidacy" due to the absence of implementing decrees for the 16th constituency, which was created by the 2017 electoral law and includes six parliamentary seats reserved for expatriates.
The creation of this constituency is at the heart of a political showdown between those seeking to preserve it — including the Amal and Hezbollah alliance — and those demanding that expatriates have the right to elect all 128 members of parliament.
Procedurally, the ministry did not formally reject the candidacy but refused to register it after initially accepting it, citing the absence of a regulatory framework.
About 10 days ago, the Legislation and Consultation Commission under the Justice Ministry determined that expatriates could not vote for all 128 parliamentary seats in the absence of official regulation identifying the 16th constituency.
A businessman established in several African countries and former associate of Berri, Fawaz had planned to file his candidacy for this 16th constituency on Friday, thus becoming the first to do so.
The speaker of parliament, along with other members of the Amal Movement, which he leads, registered in constituencies on the mainland.
Fawaz insisted during the week that he is not a member of the Amal Movement and never considered "getting into politics in Lebanon" and maintains, without necessarily convincing, that he was not approached by Berri to run.
