Fate of municipalities' elections remains uncertain

Lebanon's Joint Parliamentary Committees are set to hold a session on Wednesday.

The meeting will focus on several items on its agenda, the most important of which is a proposal to open an additional credit of LBP 1,500 billion in the 2022 budget to cover the costs of municipal and mukhtars' elections, which are expected to take place next month.

This article was originally published in and translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan. 

This proposal will naturally be a focal point of the discussion and open the door for each party or team to present its view on these elections after there were rumors of implicit and undisclosed agreements between major parties to postpone these elections.

However, a similar discussion of this proposal two weeks ago almost ignited a dispute between political parties, exposing the country's frustration and anger.

Thus, will there be serious and practical intentions to conduct these elections? How long will the dispute over the elections last? Has the conflict over the election schedule been resolved, and will there be an agreement on it? What if the current municipal councils are assigned to perform duties until the elections are held?

Some sources indicated that each team or party would confirm their commitment to holding elections. But there were questions raised in the previous session to the Interior Minister, who is expected to provide answers, especially since he discussed this issue on Tuesday with the caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati.

It is now clear that the opinions of MPs and blocs today concerning financing will go in two directions: 

The first will insist on proposing financing by opening credit in the budget, which requires legislation by Parliament.

The second will ask the government to secure funding from Special Drawing Rights (SDR), which was the subject of dispute in the previous session.

In addition to the various stances of the different forces and parties, some obstacles may be added to the financing issue, such as the human resources of security forces, judges, and teachers amidst the strikes that include most sectors and institutions of the state.

And what about the logistical obstacles that require securing more than one hundred thousand nomination requests and documents such as civil abstracts, judicial records, and other necessary documents within a short period and in light of strikes in institutions?

The elections require the attendance of around 28,000 employees to secure 14,000 polling stations. But many of these employees have not been attending their jobs, leading to doubts over their ability to fulfill their duties during the electoral process.

In this context, some sources indicated that there are reports of an unofficial consensus among political forces against holding the elections under current circumstances, further casting doubt on the fate of the elections.

Moreover, the lack of interest among the public in the elections is another significant challenge, as many municipalities are not equipped to meet the minimum requirements necessary to conduct duties.

There is also a fear that the current legislative councils may continue in power if the necessary credits or a law to extend their terms are not passed before the May 31 deadline.

However, discussions are underway on multiple levels to find the appropriate solution. The extension will likely be for an additional year until the presidential vision and these elections occur under the new president's term.

Overall, the fate of Lebanon's municipal elections remains uncertain, with various challenges and uncertainties that need to be addressed urgently to ensure a fair and transparent electoral process.