As soon as the State Council decided to suspend the execution of a decision by Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi, issued on June 8, 2022, approving a session for the Tripoli Municipal Council to vote on the motion of no confidence against Mayor Riyad Yamaq, the latter breathed a sigh of relief. Immediately, 14 out of the 20 municipal council members gathered in the office of North Governor Ramzi Nahra, following the resignation of three members and the death of a fourth. Yamaq had previously refused to respond to Nahra's letter calling for a council meeting regarding the no-confidence motion (last June), claiming the governor's request was illegal. The 14 members convened, withdrew their confidence from Yamaq, and began consultations for another session that the governor would call again to elect a new mayor and deputy for Tripoli. Yamaq, who was absent from the meeting along with some members, seems unlikely to comply with its decision; he held a press conference in his office at the municipality, announcing that he would continue to perform his duties and would challenge the governor’s session.
However, the hours following the meeting of the 14 members at Nahra's office witnessed extensive controversy and a verbal war between Yamaq's supporters and opponents in the city. Yamaq referenced this during his conference, noting the supportive comments he received when he hinted at monitoring people's reactions on social media regarding the session, stating there are many who stand with him, hence he will continue in his role at the municipality.
Given these developments and events, and after three complete years since Yamaq was elected mayor succeeding Ahmad Qamar al-Din, the situation in Tripoli Municipal Council can be described as a continuation of a paralyzing stagnation and destructive obstruction of both the municipality and the city. Ultimately, Yamaq—who has turned down job offers amounting to thousands of dollars abroad, as did his deputy, as well as Italian citizenship to remain with his city—will appeal again against the governor's session with the 14 members. The 14 will embark on a quest to find a new mayor and deputy, attempting to sway a few remaining members still aligned with Yamaq. This new battle will be imposed on a city already fatigued, with no capacity for any kind of conflict, especially at the municipal level in the few months left of its current term. The 14 members may succeed in electing one of the prominent candidates: Ahmad Qamar al-Din, Khaled Tadmuri, or Nour al-Ayubi, and matters may even reach a point where the municipality collapses, placing it in the hands of Governor Nahra, similar to the Port Municipality.
