Report: New Political Spat Looms Over Election Launch Decree Signing

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President Michel Aoun has reportedly "refrained" from signing a decree launching preparations for the upcoming parliamentary polls because it “did not bear the signature of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Jebran Bassil,” An Nahar daily reported Saturday.

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq has accordingly sent Aoun the decree inviting the Election Supervisory Committee to begin preparations for this year's polls. But the President has returned it back to the Minister “under the pretext that it did not carry the signature of Bassil being as Lebanese emigrants will be able to cast ballots this time,” according to the daily.

Mashnouq has in turn “requested the opinion of the State Shura Council that declared the decree as not needing the foreign minister's signing.”

The daily added “Mashnouq has re-sent the decree to Aoun but bearing his own signature alone.”

It is still unclear whether the issue will trigger a new political spat over decree signing.

A row between Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri over the signing of a decree promoting a number of army officers is still left unresolved.

Parliamentary elections are set for May 6. Lebanese nationals living overseas will have the chance for the first time in Lebanon's history to cast ballots from abroad.

The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and the legislature has instead twice extended its own mandate.

The last polls were held under an amended version of the 1960 electoral law.

SourceNaharnet
Comments 4
Thumb janoubi 6 years

and the funny sad drama continues.......

Thumb marcus 6 years

Next thing you know is that nassrallah's signature will be required on every decree.

Thumb justice 6 years

President Michel Aoun has reportedly "refrained" from signing a decree launching preparations for the upcoming parliamentary polls because it “did not bear the signature of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Jebran Bassil,”

Bassil's signature is now required on all birth, marriage and university certificates.

Thumb lubnani.masi7i 6 years

lol