Political deadlock deepens over Lebanon's election law—The latest

Report by Maroun Nassif, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi  

Lebanon's political divisions over the country's parliamentary election law have deepened, with a growing risk that the May 10 vote could face legal challenges or even be postponed.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri is not expected to call for a legislative session to amend the election law or to suspend the implementation of Articles 84, 112, and 122, which relate to the use of the magnetic voting card and the allocation of six seats for Lebanese citizens living abroad.

In parallel, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's government has refused to issue the implementing decrees needed to distribute the six expatriate seats across the world's six continents. The government has insisted that the so-called "16th electoral district," designed specifically for non-resident Lebanese voters, is not workable.

The standoff between parliament and the cabinet has left little room for an amendment that would shield the electoral process from an appeal before the Constitutional Council.

As the prospects for revising the law have narrowed, political forces have pointed to an advisory opinion issued by the Justice Ministry's Legislation and Consultations Commission in February 2018, framing it as a justification for proceeding despite the failure to implement key provisions.

The advisory opinion was issued in response to a question on whether parliamentary elections could be held without suspending Article 84, which requires the adoption of a magnetic voting card. 

The commission concluded that the card was not an essential requirement for holding elections and that citizens could not be deprived of their constitutional right to vote or run for office because the government failed to adopt the electronic system.

However, the opinion is non-binding and contradicts the election law, according to a former head of Lebanon's Constitutional Council. The same legal concern applies to holding elections without suspending the provisions related to the expatriate electoral district, which would also violate the law.

With no clear path toward suspending or amending the contested articles, discussions have increasingly shifted behind the scenes toward the possibility of extending parliament's mandate.

In that context, MP Adib Abdel Massih's proposal to extend parliament's term until May 31, 2027, has drawn attention, with political observers suggesting it may reflect coordination or a broader political mood that could undermine the chances of holding the elections on time.