Report: Berri, Aoun Advocate Holding Municipal Elections on Time

The vacuum in the presidency has raised questions in whether the municipal elections, set for later this year, will be held on time, reported the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Sunday.

Speaker Nabih Berri had informed Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq on Friday that he supports holding the polls on their scheduled time.

Mashnouq also received similar assurances from Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun during their talks on Saturday.

Informed sources told the daily that the Mustaqbal Movement, which Mashnouq is a member of, had informed him of its support to staging the election.

Some of the members however wondered how they can be held in wake of the presidential vacuum, added al-Hayat.

Mashnouq is scheduled to hold meetings soon with Kataeb Party leader MP Sami Gemayel, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, Progressive Socialist Party head MP Walid Jumblat, and Hizbullah leaderships to tackle the municipal elections.

Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014 when the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of a successor.

Ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps over a compromise candidate have thwarted the polls.