Head of Constitutional Council Says Poll Deadline Challenge Studied Under Utmost Secrecy
The Constitutional Council continues to look into the appeal filed by MP Walid Jumblat's National Struggle Front bloc against the suspension of the nominations' deadlines for the parliamentary elections with total media blackout, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Friday.
“Discussions are conducted under utmost secrecy,” said Head of the Constitutional Council Issam Suleiman, “there is nothing to disclose now until the decision is issued. And that can't be later than May 26, one month since the appeal was filed,” he told the daily.
On April 26, the eight-member National Struggle Front, Deputy Speaker Farid Makari and lawmakers Ahmed Karami and Marwan Hamadeh filed against the suspension of the nominations' deadlines for the parliamentary elections.
President Michel Suleiman had signed earlier the draft-law suspending the deadline for submitting nominations for the polls until May 19.
The draft-law was referred to the president after it was approved by parliament despite the boycott of the National Struggle Front.
It calls for setting the deadline for submitting candidacies to three weeks before the elections date. It also allows candidates who seek to withdraw their nominations to do so 15 days before the polls.
The head of the 10-member council strongly slammed in comments to al-Joumhouria reports that judge Antoine Kheir was appointed by the constitutional council to follow up on the issue.
“who did ever say that the constitutional council appointed judge Kheir for this task? The name and mission of the judge is kept secret. Its all media reports as we do not disclose such information,” Suleiman said.
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