Lebanese municipal elections could face delays due to missing presidential signature on decree

The Interior Ministry is preparing for the upcoming municipal elections, which are scheduled to take place throughout May.

It is working in conjunction with the Justice Ministry, which oversees the election process and its results through registration committees.

These committees are appointed by a decree issued by the Supreme Judicial Council and sent to the Interior Ministry through the Justice Minister. However, as the decree requires the signature of the President of the Republic, its release is currently unavailable.

It was decided to consider adopting a similar decree issued the day of the parliamentary elections last year, but there were also some obstacles.

A source in the Justice Ministry stated that the decree adopted in the parliamentary elections could be considered effective, even though it was said that it is only valid once. It is possible to resend it with the same names for a second signature through a new decree.

Both the Justice and Interior Ministers sign this decree, and all 24 ministers, including the six ministers that do not participate in the caretaker cabinet meetings, will sign it, according to the source which means agreeing to its content.

However, in many cases, despite the signature of all the ministers, the Prime Minister and the concerned ministry, and here the Interior Ministry, issue the decree. But can it be contested?

The source clarified that everything is possible, adding that if any party sees that it is affected, it can appeal.

Furthermore, some decrees have been contested before.

The same source explained that the judges are fully prepared to supervise the electoral process, but is the matter dependent only on them?

What about the desire of political forces to conduct the election process and their interest in it, and what about securing the necessary funds?