Cabinet forms committee to oversee formation of election supervisory body

The cabinet formed a committee presided by Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi and consisting of judges, and experts to oversee the formation of the election supervisory body. During the ordinary session it held in the Baabda Palace on Wednesday under the chairmanship of President Michel Sleiman, the cabinet scheduled an extraordinary session next Tuesday to look into the issue of the ranks and salaries series.      

The cabinet also decided to submit the election supervisory body issue to the Supreme Advisory Committee to set the period during which the supervisory body of the electoral campaign must be formed.     

While it did not tackle the issue of the telecom data and postponed looking into the VAT increase, the cabinet decided to task the Judiciary Council’s director general and the Lebanese ambassador in Paris with looking into the reasons delaying the release of Georges Abdallah.     

At the beginning of the Session, President Sleiman said that the issue of the Arsal incident is being discussed adding that measures are underway to arrest the assailants.       

On the electoral law, Sleiman stressed that he will not allow the extension of the current Parliament’s mandate, adding that he is committed to the cabinet’s draft electoral law and to holding elections on time.        

In turn, Prime Minister Najib Mikati alluded to a new draft law to tighten sanctions for abductions when carried out by specialized gangs.       

After the session, Energy Minister Gibran Bassil stressed that all March 8 ministers “mourned” the 1960s electoral law, adding that they are not concerned by anything issued by the Supreme Advisory Committee in regards to the period during which the supervisory commission of the electoral campaign must be formed.        

Before the session, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman had held talks with PM Mikati.