Parliament extended, on Thursday, the mandate of municipal and “mukhtar” councils until May 31, 2025, for the third year in a row, thus imposing a detrimental vacancy in several Lebanese towns and villages.
The Parliament also approved the tenure of Civil Defense volunteers.
The legislative session was convened by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and attended by 72 MPs, with two draft laws under double urgency on the agenda.
Berri and the parties of the “Moumanaa” axis came out strongly in favor of prolonging the term of these councils for a third consecutive year. Their justification was that elections couldn’t be held if not simultaneously organized in southern Lebanese towns, where clashes between Hezbollah and Israel have been ongoing since October 8.
However, the opposition insisted on holding the elections, recalling what happened in the 90s. For the sovereignists, elections can no longer be postponed, especially since more than a hundred councils have already resigned. They emphasize that once a ceasefire is imposed, elections in southern Lebanon can be organized.
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