Qabbani: Higher Islamic Council Elections to be Held Despite Withdrawal of Candidacies

Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani stressed on Friday that a new Higher Islamic Council will be elected on Sunday, denying reports on any postponement, As Safir daily quoted him as saying.

“There will be no backing down on calls to elect a new Higher Islamic Council according to the norms and applicable laws,” stressed the Mufti in an interview with the daily.

The HIC elects the mufti and organizes the affairs of Dar al-Fatwa, Lebanon’s top Sunni religious authority.

On reports that some candidates have withdrawn their candidacies, Qabbani considered it as a “democratic practice,” but did not rule out that the withdrawals could be intentional to obstruct the elections.

“There is a political machine to disrupt the electoral process and retain the current council,” he said.

“A political party is standing behind this game, and pressuring people to withdraw their candidacies,” he pointed.

The Mufti slammed critics that he doesn't have the right to call for the elections of the Islamic Council and said: “The call for elections is the jurisdiction of the Mufti in accordance with the provisions of Decree 18/1955.”

Moreover he criticized claims that he intends to extend his term, saying: “I did not seek that from the beginning. I will not stay one more minute after my term is over. This hypothesis is used by some to mislead people.”

He assured that he will always work for Lebanon's interest.

Divisions within Dar al-Fatwa began to surface last year when the 32-member council extended its own term until the end of 2013, a move Qabbani argues as illegal. The mufti refuses to hold or join any meetings at Dar al-Fatwa and called last month for elections of council members to be held on April 14.

Last year, the Shura Council suspended a call for the elections after 21 HIC members, who are close to ex-Premier Saad Hariri's al-Mustaqbal movement, filed a challenge against Qabbani's invitation to hold the polls.