A new electoral law is expected to be ratified by Lebanon’s parliament on Friday, paving the way for the first parliamentary elections in eight years. On Wednesday, ministers announced that Lebanon will be holding the long-delayed legislative elections in May 2018 after the country’s cabinet approved a new electoral law, staving off a fresh political crisis that threatened to leave the country without a parliament. The move will also end a stalemate that saw the country’s parliament extend its tenure twice.
Current members of parliament were elected in 2009 for what was meant as a four-year term, but became protracted as key political figures disagreed on various proposals for fear of losing parliamentary seats.
Parliamentary elections were scheduled to take place last month, but with MPs unable to decide on an electoral law, the country drifted towards a political vacuum that threatened to unravel the political deal that brought Michel Aoun into office in October last year.
Full Article: Will Lebanon’s new electoral law end the stalemate? | Middle East | Al Jazeera.
