Lebanon's election uncertainty grows: Cabinet avoids decision on expat voting

Report by Yazbek Wehbe, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi  

Lebanon's parliamentary elections have become a political "fireball" tossed between the government and parliament, as uncertainty deepens over whether the vote will take place on schedule.

Following a political clash between the Cabinet and the legislature, the government turned to the Justice Ministry's Legislation and Consultations Commission for an advisory opinion. The opinion allows Lebanese voters registered abroad to cast ballots from their countries of residence for all 128 parliamentary seats.

However, the Cabinet on Monday did not address the opinion directly and did not take a final decision on whether to adopt it or ignore it, particularly since the opinion is non-binding.

With the government's position still unclear, doubts are growing over whether elections will be held on time, as constitutional deadlines are approaching and candidates remain uncertain about the steps they are expected to take.

In exactly three weeks, on March 10, the deadline for submitting candidacies will close. The deadline to withdraw from the race is March 25. So far, the number of candidates remains very low.

Another issue is election funding. Organizing the vote requires financing for election-related spending, which typically requires a decree signed by the president, the prime minister, and the finance minister. 

However, LBCI said election expenditures were included in the Interior Ministry's budget within the general state budget law approved by parliament, meaning no separate decree may be needed.

Multiple parties could appeal the election results to the Constitutional Council if elections are held based on the advisory opinion, without parliament amending the election law. That includes provisions related to the 16th electoral district for expatriates and the requirement for a magnetic voting card under the current law.

The growing confusion has placed the scheduled elections at risk. 

If the impasse continues, parliament could be forced to either postpone the vote or extend its own term—a scenario that critics say would mean political interests have once again undermined Lebanon's democratic process.