Report: Appeal against municipal term extension to be accepted

The Constitutional Council is inclined to accept the appeal against the extension of the terms of municipalities and local officials, al-Jadeed TV has reported.

“There is an inclination to hold the elections,” the TV network added.

Council chief Judge Tannous Meshleb for his part said that a ruling is expected before May 31.

The Council had on Wednesday issued a ruling suspending the implementation of the law that extended municipalities’ term.

The Council will “study the filed appeals and issue its final ruling in the coming weeks, knowing that the term of municipalities will expire at the end of May,” MTV reported.

The Lebanese Forces bloc, the Kataeb bloc, the Tajaddod bloc and Change MPs have filed appeals against the law.

Earlier this month, parliament voted to extend the terms of local officials, paving the way to postpone municipal elections for up to a year for a second time.

Lebanon’s municipal elections were originally slated for May last year but were postponed for a year because they coincided with parliamentary elections, which brought in a dozen reformist lawmakers running on anti-establishment platforms.

Opposition and reformist groups would likely continue this momentum and win additional seats if local elections were held, as living conditions across the country continue to deteriorate.