Members of the ministerial committee charged with examining the implementation of the new electoral law have admitted that it was impossible to apply the technical reforms stipulated in the law, with the parliamentary elections due on May 6. While the committee’s meeting on Tuesday, chaired by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, did not result in any decision on the matter, ministers have expressed clear stances towards the implementation of the reforms, in the wake of sharp disputes over the adoption of the biometric voting card and the mega center, which allows voting in place of residence. Ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that differences persisted over technical reforms, pointing out that any amendment in the law “requires prior agreement before submitting it to Parliament – a task that seems difficult so far.”
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Researcher at Information International Mohammed Shamseddine said that the amendment of the law was required only if the government submitted a bill to adopt the magnetic cards to the Parliament and not vice-versa, because the law does not stipulate the adoption of the cards.
Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, however, said: “There is a mandatory amendment to the law because [the magnetic cards] are not done; otherwise the election results could be challenged.”
Full Article: Political Differences in Lebanon Undermine Electoral Reforms | Asharq AL-awsat.
