The head of the National Defense, Interior, and Municipalities Committee, MP Jihad Al-Samad, stated in front of a number of municipal heads from Dhaniyeh, whom he received at his home in the town of Bqaaoun, that "conducting the municipal elections, with the exception of the southern governorate and the Bekaa region and some areas in Bekaa that are subjected to Israeli aggression, or extending the terms of the municipal councils, requires the approval of a law in the Parliament." He indicated that "there are consultations and a trend from several political parties to propose a law, after the holidays, to delay the municipal elections due to the repercussions of the Israeli aggression on Lebanon."
Al-Samad then received a delegation from Civil Defense volunteers in Dhaniyeh, Minieh, and Tripoli, who consulted him about the issue of not receiving their salaries since their stabilization in August of last year, which prompted them to announce an open strike. He clarified that "the financial allocations designated for Civil Defense personnel are available, and there is no problem in that, but there is a legal and technical issue being worked on." He said: "We will hold an extensive meeting next Tuesday, to which we have invited the Minister of Finance and the Civil Service Council, to discuss how to find a legal solution to ensure the operation of the public service and pay the salaries of the stabilized personnel. Given that we are currently in a state of war due to the Israeli aggression on Lebanon, we greatly need the Civil Defense apparatus to function, both in times of war and peace, as it is a vital organization, and its members are unsung heroes who have made many sacrifices. We hope to reach positive outcomes in next Tuesday's meeting."
