The Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) expressed surprise on Saturday over the withdrawal of candidate Boushra al-Khalil from the by-elections, after the legal deadlines already passed.
In a statement on Saturday, LADE said that the constitutional deadline to withdraw the candidacy ended on the 4th of September at midnight, in accordance with the Article 43 of the Electoral law.
While the association deemed Boushra al-Khalil’s withdrawal announcement legally void, it called on the Interior and Municipalities Ministry to move forward with the elections scheduled on the 15th of September, in respect to what has been left of the rule of law and democratic life in Lebanon, even if the results of the elections were previously known.
LADE noted that holding the elections should not be related to the expected results, since the right to vote must be protected.