Lebanon to hold parliamentary election on May 15

Decree issued by interior minister awaits approval by prime minister and president

Lebanon's Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said he had issued a decree for parliamentary elections to be held on May 15. AFP

Lebanon will hold its parliamentary election on May 15, the interior minister said on Monday.

“I signed a decree inviting the electoral bodies to vote for members of parliament on the following days: voting for the Lebanese residing on Lebanese territory will be on Sunday, May 15, 2022,” Bassam Mawlawi wrote on Twitter.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati and President Michel Aoun must also sign the decree for the election date to be officially adopted.

Parliament had recommended that legislative elections take place on March 27 but President Michel Aoun said he would only sign a decree for them to take place in May.

The international community has insisted that holding parliamentary elections on time is a prerequisite for Lebanon to receive billions of dollars in loans and debt relief, two years into a severe economic crisis.

Mr Mawlawi said Lebanese living abroad will vote on either Friday, May 6 or Sunday, May 8, depending on which day falls during a weekend in their country of residence.

People working at polling stations will vote on May 12.

A government source close to the prime minister said Mr Mikati would definitely sign the decree, which is expected to be sent to his office by Tuesday.

“The decree will be signed according to the dates set by the interior minister without any problem,” he told The National.

Once Mr Mikati has signed the decree, it will be sent to the president for approval, and a spokesman for Mr Aoun said he would also sign it.

He said Mr Aoun had wanted the elections to be held on May 5 or May 8, “but if the interior minister decided to go for May 15, so be it. It won’t be a problem at all.”