The newspaper "Al-Jumhuriah" reported: As the Russian-Ukrainian war continues with failed attempts to stop it, leading to increased military and diplomatic escalation and mutual threats between Russia and the United States and the European Union, interest in the parliamentary elections scheduled for May 15 is growing in Lebanon. There are many doubts surrounding the possibility of holding these elections on time, given the conflicting intentions and desires of various political factions, especially since the current phase, resulting from the significant economic, financial, and living collapse in the country, is different from what it was during the previous electoral season in 2018. Observers note that all parties call for the elections to be held on schedule, yet this call itself raises suspicions about their intentions. If there were a serious desire among the majority to participate in these elections, there would be no need for daily proclamations that they would take place on time, especially since everyone knows that most of them fear for their fate as a result of the elections due to the burden of responsibility that the Lebanese people place on them for leading the country to collapse. They see salvation in holding them accountable at the ballot box and forming a new authority to halt the collapse and put the country on the path to recovery.
Informed sources told "Al-Jumhuriah" that the disputes over the issue of whether to adopt the "Megacenter" locations for the elections is one of the most significant concerns regarding their fate, especially since most political forces, particularly the wary ones, fear the liberation of voters' will from their dominance by going to "Megacenter" locations near where they live to cast their votes freely, away from any fear, pressure, or threat. Some assert that those who will vote through "Megacenter" if adopted are the ones who are not influenced by the political system, although their percentage is small compared to the larger proportion that will elect candidates from that system due to various influences and temptations, particularly given the challenging living conditions in the country that have made citizens more concerned about securing their daily sustenance than about politics and elections and their outcomes on the future of the country.
However, a prominent government source told "Al-Jumhuriah" that they do not share the expectations of a postponement of the elections because internal conditions do not allow it, especially following the "Future Movement" announcement that its deputies would resign if a decision were made to delay and extend the parliament's mandate. Furthermore, there are other parliamentary blocs that will follow the "Future" example. The source added: "Not holding the elections means the country remains in the abyss it has fallen into, and it also means paralyzing all efforts the government is making with the international community to implement the necessary structural reforms within the framework of the recovery plan, among others."
In terms of the "Megacenter" committee, the ministerial committee tasked with discussing the "Megacenter" project presented by Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi to the Cabinet completed its mission in its second meeting at the Grand Serail and submitted a report to the General Secretariat of the Cabinet to be presented at the meeting that will be held at the Presidential Palace the day after tomorrow. Ministerial sources told "Al-Jumhuriah": "The session should have concluded on Monday (the day before yesterday) after everything became clear, especially the legal impediments that prevent proceeding with the "Megacenter" before introducing the necessary legal legislation on the electoral law, in addition to the technical and financial requirements." They noted that regardless of whether these requirements are available and the time they necessitate, it remains to be seen if this would constitute a lead-in to postponing the elections.
Sources concluded their remarks by saying: "Attention is focused on the Council of Ministers which is likely to be aware, naturally, of these obstacles, and it has two options: either to abandon the idea of the 'Megacenter' or to move forward with a draft law to issue the necessary legislative amendments."
Minister Mawlawi told "Al-Jumhuriah": "I cannot proceed with the 'Megacenter' except through a legal amendment. I am not, however, in agreement with the technical proposal presented by a team within the committee. The 'Megacenter' cannot merely be a tent or receptacle. I have warned of the security risks this matter could entail, and the response was, 'You are clever and you can uncover the forgery,' which is a simplistic answer. The 'Megacenter' without electronic linkage, fiber optic connections, and a central server ensuring necessary communication cannot simply be a 'Megacenter' unless they want a tent. The company to execute this matter requires three months to complete the process of connecting major polling centers with the server."
The minister added: "We need to take into account speed and safety; otherwise, we are deciding on putting up a tent and placing a box underneath it. The question is: How do I transport polling boxes early in the morning from Hermel, Marjayoun, Hasbaya, and Akkar to Beirut? The cost will certainly be lower, estimated at about two million dollars, with a difference of three to four million dollars if we complete the electronic linkage, but I cannot bear this responsibility, and the law will be subject to challenge if we do not make the necessary legal amendments."
Mawlawi emphasized that "the current legal text does not stipulate the establishment of polling stations outside the electoral district." He referred to precedents during the Israeli occupation in 1996 and 2000 when polling stations were placed outside districts, leading to amendments to the law at that time.
As for Justice Minister Henry Khoury, he based his assertions on the grounds of Article 84, which is essentially related to the amended Law No. 8 discussed during the November session. He also referenced Article 116 pertaining to "Voting for Non-Residents," i.e., expatriates. Here, Mawlawi remarked: "We cannot apply the law applicable to non-residents to residents; legally it does not carry through, and logistically they must bear responsibility for this. Financially, provisions must be secured before I start working."
Meanwhile, ministerial sources who participated in the meeting told "Al-Jumhuriah" that positions remained unchanged. The ministers belonging to the "Free Patriotic Movement" believed that there is no need to amend the electoral law to determine major polling centers and that it can be decided by the Minister of Interior. Meanwhile, others saw the necessity to amend the law, particularly concerning the counting process, which should take place for those wishing to vote where they reside far from their electoral districts, in addition to the rejection by "Amal Movement" ministers of any reconsideration of the law after it was amended by Parliament and the decision to postpone the implementation of "Megacenter" until future sessions.
In what has been leaked from the Grand Serail’s atmosphere, Prime Minister Najib Mikati requested that the committee's report be referred to the General Secretariat of the Cabinet to subsequently present it to the Parliament before sending it there if the amendments to the Minister of Interior's project concerning the establishment of these centers are endorsed.
In this context, commenting on remarks made by Minister of Tourism Walid Nassar, it was transmitted from the Minister of Interior that "the Council of Ministers is keen on holding the parliamentary elections on time and that the competent authorities should secure the funds for them." It is worth mentioning that the Parliamentary Administration and Justice Committee approved the required appropriations for the parliamentary elections days ago.
Reportedly, sources from the Grand Serail indicated that Mikati had clearly resolved the ongoing discussions within the ministerial committee tasked with considering proposals to adopt combined polling centers in the capital and major cities, asserting that the "Megacenter" is a reform step but that the most important issue is not to postpone the elections for even a minute. It stressed that this position is not new, as he informed Minister Bassam Mawlawi before the first meeting of the committee on Monday afternoon and did not retreat from it thereafter.
In an unprecedented step, Minister of Tourism Engineer Walid Nassar chaired a meeting in his office at the ministry yesterday morning, which included the Director General of Personal Status at the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, Brigadier Elias Khoury, General Director of Political Affairs and Refugees Fatine Younes, and Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, and former Elections Responsible for Expatriates in "The Free Patriotic Movement" Pascal Dhourooj. They discussed the technical aspects of the "Megacenter." Nassar stated post-meeting: "We will determine the preliminary cost for the 'Megacenter' to present it to the Minister of Interior at the meeting to be held in the afternoon in the Interior Ministry," asserting that "if there is political will to approve the 'Megacenter' to serve the voters, we are in favor of the state incurring additional costs to save citizens."
In parallel, Mikati called for a cabinet session to be held at 3 p.m. the day after tomorrow at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, with an agenda that includes 18 items, most notably the "Megacenter" file and encroachments on oil lines in Tripoli. The agenda also encompasses proposals from the Ministry of Finance for tax exemptions for certain companies and institutions, recommendations from the ministerial committee tasked with investigating the conditions of the Beirut port silos threatened with collapse, as well as a presentation from the Ministry of Displaced Affairs regarding the return of Syrian refugees to their country, and a request from the Ministry of Interior to open funds for the General Directorate of General Security for biometric passports and their appendices.
The agenda also includes various financial and administrative items, most notably the formation of the Lebanese delegation accompanying the President on his planned visit to the Vatican and Rome from March 20 to 23, as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Bou Habib's trip to Cairo, which he left for last night to participate in the 157th session of the Arab League Council at the ministerial level, which will last until the 10th of this month, before leaving directly to Turkey to participate in the Antalya Diplomatic Forum (ADF).
On another note, the day after his meeting with a group of ambassadors from countries neighboring Ukraine—Finland's Tanja Fernandez, Denmark's Merete Juhl, Sweden's Ann Dismor, and Norway's Martin Irtvik, who visited him the day before yesterday to thank him for Lebanon's stance on the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and to discuss possible assistance for repatriating Lebanese from Ukraine—Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib received the Russian ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Rudakov, and discussed the current battles in Ukraine and their implications for the region in general and Lebanon in particular. Rudakov stated that the discussion included "an evaluation of the existing bilateral relations between Russia and the Lebanese Republic." He added: "We explained from the perspective of the Russian Federation the recent events regarding the military action against Nazi forces in Ukraine."
Diplomatic sources following the ongoing diplomatic struggle at the Foreign Ministry between Moscow and the neighboring pro-Russian and Ukrainian countries told "Al-Jumhuriah" that the diplomatic campaigns continue between both parties amidst the dominance of NATO and the European Union concerning the actions of Russian forces regarding the content of the meeting and its surrounding environment. The sources noted that Rudakov provided a detailed account of Russia's new assessment of its friends and foes, outlining what Moscow informed former Deputy Prime Minister Aamal Abu Zeid during his recent visit and the results it led to, while clarifying many points published in Beirut and correcting some of the contradictory information reported by various media outlets.
In political announcements yesterday, Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah addressed Lebanese political leaders, the Lebanese people, and all political forces during the "Wounded Day" celebration, stating: "Submitting to American dictates will not save Lebanon; rather, it will increase its tragedies and disasters. If you want to please the Americans, I tell you now that you will not be able to satisfy them, as their demands know no bounds." Concerning Lebanon's official stance at the United Nations, Nasrallah remarked: "The official position of Lebanon sided with the United States when it could have abstained. More than 35 countries abstained, and Lebanon's interest was to abstain, just like many countries in the world." He questioned: "Where is the principle of neutrality? When the Lebanese state took this biased position towards the United States, why did the advocates of neutrality and distancing themselves from the crises in Lebanon remain silent?"
He continued: "What happened in this regard serves as daily and new proof of the falsehood that 'Hezbollah' dominates Lebanese state decisions. Could the Lebanese Foreign Ministry issue such a statement to the American embassy and have it modified by the American embassy and raise its tone? If 'Hezbollah' dominated Lebanese state decisions, could Lebanon vote alongside the U.S. and not abstain at the United Nations? This is further proof. There are always proofs, and we talk about proofs every day, but this is drawn from events and the occasion."
Domestically, regarding the electricity crisis, Nasrallah confirmed that "the American Foreign Ministry has yet to provide a written document to Egypt and Jordan stating that if you import gas from Syria or pass electricity through Syria, you are protected from the Caesar sanctions until this moment."
The "Strong Lebanon" bloc stated after it held its regular electronic meeting chaired by MP Gibran Bassil that "the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war has negative effects on Lebanon and the world, particularly concerning the global increase in fuel prices and the loss of some essential imports from Ukraine and Russia." It emphasized "its commitment to solving problems through diplomatic and peaceful means and refraining from having Lebanon be a party to any external conflict under what we consider 'neutralizing Lebanon,' as some call it 'distancing itself.'"
The bloc stressed the importance of holding parliamentary elections on time according to the law, which explicitly stipulates allowing Lebanese citizens to vote where they reside rather than merely where they are registered. This necessitates setting up significant polling centers, i.e., "Megacenters." Any attempt to thwart this right adds to what has already been done to eliminate reforms in the law by those who thwarted expats' right to elect six representatives in addition to the 128 deputies and who also undermined the magnetic card system. It reiterated that "the Megacenter" does not require a law. Article 85 of the electoral law states that the polling centers’ locations are determined by the Interior Minister through a decision made 20 days before the elections. Furthermore, establishing a few major centers, fewer than ten throughout Lebanon, carries limited costs and does not logistically require more than a few weeks for setup.
The bloc noted that "establishing the Megacenter saves Lebanese citizens huge amounts of billions in transportation expenses at a time when the price of a gasoline tank is nearly half a million pounds, in addition to liberating voters from many constraints, increasing participation rates, and enhancing the legitimacy of the electoral process. The Megacenter is a means to facilitate the voters’ right to participate. Are those who reject it not wanting a strong turnout in the elections, fearful of voters’ freedom and their escape from any incentives or threats? All the reasons those opposed to the Megacenter presented to undermine it are weak and fallacious, and the bloc will spare no effort to prevent encroachments on voters' rights and freedoms."
The Kataeb Party's President Sami Gemayel warned against "any schemes aimed at postponing the elections, which have begun to resonate in the media and do not bode well." He affirmed that "postponing the elections is forbidden, describing the postponement of municipal and electoral elections as a sin and a crime against democratic life in Lebanon." He rejected "the notion that the Lebanese state, which to this moment spends hundreds of millions of dollars, is unable to allocate funds to secure the conduct of elections," asserting that "elections will be held on time, and the Lebanese people will have their say, and it will be resounding."
On the health front, the Ministry of Public Health recorded 1,006 new COVID-19 infections (1,006 local and zero imported). This brings the total number of infections since the outbreak began in February 2020 to 1,080,381. The report also recorded 8 new deaths, raising the total number of fatalities to 10,169.
