Parliamentary elections: Aoun and Salam try once more to avoid postponement

President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Thursday signed a decree opening an extraordinary parliamentary session from March 2 to March 16, 2026, inclusive. The move comes only days before the extraordinary session launched at the end of 2025 is set to expire on March 1.At a time when the scenario of postponing the parliamentary elections scheduled for May is gaining traction, the decision appears aimed at giving Parliament a last-minute opportunity to amend the electoral law and salvage the vote by finding a compromise in the standoff over expatriate voting. This is all the more significant given that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri publicly rejects any extension of the Chamber’s term, at least officially.The backdrop also includes growing talk of an international push to delay the elections as part of a broader package...