PSP to Appeal Suspension of Nominations for Parliamentary Elections on Friday

The Progressive Socialist Party will file on Friday an appeal against the suspension of the nominations' deadlines for the parliamentary elections, radio Voice of Lebanon (100.5) reported Thursday.

"The appeal is being signed at the moment and it will be submitted to the Constitutional Council at 9 a.m. on Friday,” VDL noted.

Quoting PSP sources, OTV had said earlier on Thursday that an appeal will be filed tomorrow against the suspension of nomination deadlines.

LBCI television remarked: “The party's legal officer Nashaat al-Hasaniyyah will submit the appeal.”

The parliament agreed earlier in April to suspend the deadline for submitting nominations for the parliamentary elections to May 19.

The session, headed by Speaker Nabih Berri, was attended by all political blocs, except the National Struggle Front of MP Walid Jumblat.

President Michel Suleiman announced on Twitter on the same day that he will sign the law to "allow the approval of a modern electoral law based on proportional representation."

As a result, caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel issued a decree suspending the deadline for submitting election nominations until May 19.

The ministry will resume accepting nominations on May 20 and until May 25, said the decree.

Meanwhile, the National Struggle Front along with several other lawmakers sought to challenge the parliament’s endorsement to suspend the deadlines set by the 1960 vote law.

“We are seeking to challenge the draft-law along with several lawmakers who have rejected it to preserve the constitution and the elections,” PSP's Caretaker Minister Wael Abou Faour expressed.

“Several of the deadlines that were suspended included major constitutional violations,” he said.