Caretaker cabinet sets 16th of June a date for Parliamentary elections

The caretaker cabinet ended its session on Monday at the Baabda Presidential Palace, where it set the 16th of June a date for the parliamentary elections, formed Electoral Supervisory Committee and approved the amount of LBP 22 billion for electoral expenditures.                

In this context, Nadim Abdel Malek was appointed as the head of the Electoral Supervisory Committee, Andre Sader was selected as vice-president, while Salim al-Osta, Khaldoun Naja, Othman Majzoub, Atallah Ghasham, Ghada Halawa, Khalil al-Hindi and Simon Haddad were appointed as committee’s members.

Following the session, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati stressed that the current situation imposes the adoption of a valid electoral law, noting that necessary measures and steps must be taken in order to extend the mandate of the Parliament, and that the government will complete its duties until the formation of a new cabinet.              

Mikati noted that the Lebanese Army has absolute power to carry out the measures deemed suitable, adding that the elections in Tripoli may be delayed for two or three weeks if required.              

Prior to the session, caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel noted that the expatriates’ vote is set to be held on the 7th and 9th of June in Melbourne, Sydney and Kuwait.          

On the other hand, caretaker Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil stressed that an agreement must be reached before the 31st of May, while caretaker Energy Minister Gebran Bassil said that “the Electoral Supervisory Committee has 'risen from the dead'.”