Municipal elections

Municipal Elections in Batroun: A Shifting Political Landscape

Nine years after they were last held—after a hiatus marked by repeated postponements—municipal elections in Lebanon are scheduled to take place over four consecutive Sundays beginning on May 4. The conditions under which the 2016 elections were conducted have changed dramatically. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group, has lost significant ...

36 Municipal Councils Elected by Acclamation in Mount Lebanon

Ahead of the long-awaited municipal elections set to start on Sunday, May 4, a total of 36 municipalities in Mount Lebanon have been elected by acclamation, out of 330 in the region. In these areas, only one list of candidates was submitted per municipality, eliminating the need for a vote and automatically securing their election. The breakdown ...

Divisions Stall Parliamentary Talks on Beirut Municipal Council Parity

Sectarian divides once again paralyzed legislative work in Lebanon, as Parliament failed to reach any concrete decision on the issue of Christian-Muslim parity within Beirut’s municipal council. The matter has now been referred to a parliamentary committee for further examination. During a plenary session held on Thursday evening, Lebanese ...

Salam Vows Timely Municipal Elections

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reaffirmed on Thursday that municipal elections will go ahead as scheduled, with a firm government commitment to transparency and fairness. In a statement posted on X, Salam addressed growing speculation around the elections, stating unequivocally that “the government’s position is firm in its commitment to hold the ...

Municipal Elections: What Are the Requirements to Run for Office?

As Lebanon prepares for its upcoming municipal elections, scheduled for May 2025, growing attention is being paid to the positions of municipal council members and presidents. In a context where local governance is increasingly viewed as a driver of change, many are considering a run for office. But what does it take to become a candidate? ...

Municipal Elections in Lebanon: When Politics Becomes a Family Affair

As Lebanon prepares to hold its municipal elections for the first time since 2016, observers are once again focusing on a persistent feature of the country’s political landscape: the grip of families on the local scene. While municipal elections are supposed to reflect the popular will and address citizens’ concrete needs, they are in ...

Municipal Elections in South Lebanon and Nabatiyeh Moved to Saturday, May 24

Lebanon’s Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Ahmad al-Hajjar, officially signed on Wednesday the decrees calling on electoral bodies to vote for municipal councils, mokhtars and mokhtar councils in the governorates of South Lebanon and Nabatiyeh. The elections will now take place on Saturday, May 24, 2025, instead of Sunday, as initially ...

Parliament Sets Legislative Priorities, Rejects Municipal Election Delay

The Lebanese Parliament Bureau met on Tuesday in Ain el-Tineh under the leadership of Speaker Nabih Berri to finalize the agenda for the legislative session scheduled for Thursday. The meeting focused on several high-priority draft laws, including a proposal to amend Lebanon’s banking secrecy regulations and plans for the upcoming municipal ...

Municipal Elections: How Will Amal and Hezbollah Adjust?

May appears to be a pivotal moment for Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, as Lebanon heads toward municipal elections that could serve as a litmus test for broader political shifts leading up to the 2026 parliamentary vote. These elections will take place against the backdrop of a deeply altered national climate, marked by a major war that has ...

Berri Backs Closed-List System to Ensure Parity in Beirut Municipal Council

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri signaled that potential amendments may be introduced to the Municipal Law, particularly to ensure parity within major municipal councils, most notably in Beirut, and possibly Tripoli. In remarks made to An-Nahar on Monday, Berri said he is awaiting the outcome of ongoing discussions on proposed changes to the ...

Hariri Announces Future Movement’s Abstention from Municipal Elections

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the leader of the Future Movement, announced on Wednesday that his party will not participate in Lebanon’s upcoming municipal elections, choosing to abstain from fielding candidates or endorsing any lists – both in Beirut and across the country. “Based on my conviction that municipal elections are ...

Municipal Elections: Hajjar Calls on Voters for May 11 in North Lebanon

The Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Ahmad al-Hajjjar, signed this morning the decree calling on the voters in Northern Lebanon and Akkar for the municipal and mokhtar elections, scheduled for May 11 in both districts. He signed another decree related to the distribution of polling stations in these areas. The elections for municipal and ...