A voter casts her ballot in the parliamentary election at a polling station near the Lebanese coastal city of Byblos (Jbeil), north of the capital Beirut, on May 15, 2022. (Credit: Joseph Eid / AFP)
Less than a year after MP Ghassan Skaff (Greek Orthodox/West Bekaa-Rashaya) passed away, the possibility of a by-election to fill his seat is being discussed in political circles. This by-election would comply with the constitutional requirement to fill the seat, which has been vacant since December 2025, under Constitution Article 41. This is all the more relevant given that parliament’s term has been extended until May 2028.The conflict in Lebanon and the wider region has, however, cast uncertainty over whether the vote will go ahead. Potential candidates want to gauge how “serious” the election is before committing to it, at a time when Shiite villages in the district are being hit by the Israeli war machine. This is all the more true given that this would be an all-out battle in an electoral district where the major religious...
Less than a year after MP Ghassan Skaff (Greek Orthodox/West Bekaa-Rashaya) passed away, the possibility of a by-election to fill his seat is being discussed in political circles. This by-election would comply with the constitutional requirement to fill the seat, which has been vacant since December 2025, under Constitution Article 41. This is all the more relevant given that parliament’s term has been extended until May 2028.The conflict in Lebanon and the wider region has, however, cast uncertainty over whether the vote will go ahead. Potential candidates want to gauge how “serious” the election is before committing to it, at a time when Shiite villages in the district are being hit by the Israeli war machine. This is all the more true given that this would be an all-out battle in an electoral district where the major religious...