Sources close to Speaker Nabih Berri confirmed to "Al-Jomhouria" his strong commitment to conducting the by-elections to complete the parliamentary assembly.
The newspaper stated that it seems the countdown for holding the by-elections has begun soon, in order to fill the ten vacant parliamentary seats, especially as there are about 14 months left until the parliament's term ends in May 2022. In this context, Speaker Berri contacted Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi yesterday regarding “the necessity of conducting the by-elections in implementation of Article 41 of the Constitution, which mandates this procedure." The Interior Minister assured the Speaker that "these procedures will be followed by the end of March at the latest."
Several circles have noted the message that Berri intended to convey at this particular time. They questioned whether his call for conducting the by-elections is merely a stance aiming to adhere to constitutional requirements, and therefore he would have no objection to postponing them in case of any health or financial obstacles, or whether he insists on holding them, sending a message to all who resigned that their positions will not be preserved.
