The two draft laws submitted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Youssef Raji, and the Minister of Interior, Ahmed El-Hajjar, were not approved. Instead, the Council of Ministers decided to activate the previous ministerial committee to consider the election law and make the necessary amendments to it. Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Mitri has been added to this committee to chair it, and the committee is to submit its report to the Council at its meeting scheduled to be held at Baabda Palace at 3:00 PM next Thursday.
In addition to the committee’s report, the Council of Ministers will also discuss on Thursday the second report submitted by the Lebanese Army, which deals with the achievements made regarding the exclusivity of weapons, especially in the South Litani area, in addition to the obstacles hindering full deployment.
Informed sources indicate that the committee may complete its report on the electoral law, but this does not guarantee its passage in Parliament. The main obstacle lies in the lack of a national consensus on these amendments. As long as there is a team that rejects the idea of voters voting for 128 deputies, and another opposes their voting for 6 deputies abroad, it is impossible to pass any bill in Parliament without the approval of all parties concerned.
However, sources expect that next Thursday’s session will be full of heated discussions, especially since two controversial reports will be on the table.
