REPORT: Cabinet calls for session on Monday as electoral contenders present their candidacies

Despite the objections to the 1960 electoral law, several officials from the March 8 bloc filed on Friday their candidacies for the upcoming parliamentary elections at the Interior Ministry ahead of schedule, citing uncontested victory as the main reason behind their move.            

Candidates included representative from the Free Patriotic Movement, the Amal movement, and the Lebanese Forces.                            

Among the candidates were Hikmat Dib, Naji Gharios, Fadi al-Aawar, Michel Pharaon, Hani Kobeisy, Ayoub Hmeid, Abdel Latif Zein, Salim Aoun, Cesar Abi Khalil, Toni Zoghbi, Nicolas Sehnaoui, and Head of the Change and Reform Bloc Michel Aoun who submitted his candidature via attorney Walid Dagher.                      

“We were hoping to file our candidacies according to the Orthodox Gathering draft,” Telecommunications Minister Nicholas Sehnaoui told journalists at the scene after submitting his electoral application.                      

Candidates also included Salim Karam, Estephan Doueihy, Fayez Ghosn, Toni Franjieh, Jamil el-Sayyed, Nabih Berri, Elias Abou Assi, Kamil Chamoun, Philippe Maalouf, Maroun Helou, Boutros Harb, and Michel el-Murr.                      

As for Dory Chamoun, he said that he will be submitting his candidacy on Monday. In regards to the Lebanese Forces, a legal representative submitted the applications of 26 candidates; however, MP Elie Keyrouz was not among them since he was replaced by another candidate, Joseph Isaac, sources said.     

Independent Christian officials and deputies held a meeting at the Democratic Renewal Movement's Headquarters whereby they announced that they will be submitting their candidacies on the basis of the currently effective law in order to avoid political void.            

This as the Future Bloc announced that it would also be presenting its submission via a legal representative.                  

Monday is the deadline for the submission of candidacies and has been extended until 2 pm today by the Interior Ministry.                            

It is worth noting that the Cabinet will be holding a session next Monday at the Baabda palace to discuss the electoral file.     

Earlier, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri contacted outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati and discussed with him the necessity of holding this session to discuss the upcoming parliamentary elections and avoid political vacuum.            

A General Authority session on May 15 failed to garner apt voters on a new electoral law dubbed the Orthodox Gathering proposal for lack of quorum leaving the parliamentary sub-committee to convene for the eighth time in hopes of reaching a new electoral law on Monday, but to no avail.      

This failure has raised fears of a political vacuum in Lebanon or the extension of the current parliament’s mandate.


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