Constitutional Council upholds municipality extension law despite acknowledging its unconstitutionality

In a contentious move, the Constitutional Council, presided by Judge Tannous Mechleb, approved a law extending the terms of municipal and selective councils for one year, despite recognizing its constitutional and legal violations.

The Council dismissed three appeals against this law, citing the need to avoid legislative vacuum, even though it admitted the law contravened the constitutional principle of periodic elections and violated Article 16 and paragraph H of the constitution's preamble.

The decision, supported by seven out of the ten council members, overruled the dissenting voices of Judges Miray Najm, Riad Abu Ghaida, and Michel Tarzi. This outcome reflects an apparent alignment with political forces resistant to municipal and elective elections, evidenced by the Council's successful securing of the session's quorum and the required votes to dismiss the appeals.