Higher Defense Council stresses full readiness for parliamentary elections

President Michel Aoun on Friday presided over a meeting for the Higher Defense Council at the Baabda Palace that was dedicated to discussing the preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

“The heads of the security agencies stressed at the Baabda meeting full readiness for imposing security during the May 15 elections as the army commander said that the army enjoys full preparedness,” MTV reported.

Aoun for his part called for security and administrative coordination to stage the elections without any problems, urging cooperation with foreign observers and the Supervisory Commission for Elections.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati meanwhile underlined “the importance of preserving the state’s prestige and the dignity of security institutions in order to guarantee citizens’ protection.”

“We are with human rights and freedom of expression, but any violation would have negative effects, and we must immunize ourselves to protect the state and prevent taking the country into the abyss,” Miqati added, hours after protesters tried to storm his residence in Tripoli.

And as Interior Minister Bassam al-Mawlawi promised that “marvelous elections will be held within the available capabilities,” Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said that Finance Minister Youssef Khalil has promised to secure cash payments to the public employees who will take part in the organization of the elections.

“We are seeking to secure LBP 380 billion prior to the elections,” Khalil said.

Energy Minister Walid Fayyad for his part said that “a plan will be devised by the interior minister and Electricite du Liban to provide vote counting centers with 14 hours of electricity every day, from May 5 to May 16.”