Cabinet Convenes amid Divisions over Voter Cards, Pre-Registration

In light of continued assurances that Lebanon's parliamentary elections will be staged on time, Lebanon's Cabinet convened on Thursday to look into several problematic files as parties remained divided over whether to issue biometric voter cards or initiate pre-registration of voters for the May 2018 polls.

Briefing reporters after the session, Information Minister Melhem Riachi said the Cabinet approved a book of conditions for organizing a call for tenders for setting up waste thermal disintegration plants, in addition to projects related to the Costa Brava and Bourj Hammoud landfills.

Asked about the Tele Liban appointments, Riachi said that the file is being resolved.

As for the issue of biometric voting cards, the minister admitted that the differences were not resolved, noting that a ministerial panel will continue the discussion of the topic on Friday.

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil had assured ahead of the meeting held at the Grand Serail that the “elections will not be staged without pre-registration of voters,” who wish to cast ballots in their places of residency.

“The elections is a national issue that deserves waiting a little. The elections will be held on time,” assured Interior Minister Nouahd al-Mashnouq.

For his part head of the Lebanese Democratic Party and Minister of the Displaced Talal Arslan fired accusations, without naming anyone in particular, of deliberately “snaring the elections law and of procrastination.”

Ministers of various political parties remain divided over the mechanism of the elections. On Wednesday, Foreign Minister and Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil accused Mashnouq of “impeding” the elections.

Mashnouq argues that “the pre-registration of voters has become inevitable,” but sees “inability” to create voter cards—as per Bassil's insistence-- due to lack of time.

Lebanon's elections will be held under a complex proportional representation law for the first time in Lebanon's history.

The electoral law was reached after years of political wrangling and three extensions of parliament's term.

The government will reportedly address other files during its meeting mainly the file of appointments at State hospitals and the State-owned television, Tele Liban.