Lebanon municipal services face paralysis amid election doubts

Lebanon’s municipal elections set for May could be postponed for a second time following a series of parliamentary delays, leaving local administrations and services paralyzed.

The elections were initially postponed for 12 months because they coincided with the 2022 parliamentary elections.

But with deputies refusing to hold a parliamentary session to settle the matter, municipal polls now face a second postponement.

Rival Cabinet and parliamentary blocs blamed each other for the possible delay of the elections.

Meanwhile, the joint parliamentary committee failed to approve a draft law to secure an advance for the Ministry of Interior to fund the May elections.

International observers have repeatedly warned Lebanon’s political class of the need to meet constitutional deadlines. Political leaders have also been urged to meet their responsibilities in holding presidential elections, as well as the municipal and mayoral elections, which are the responsibility of local authorities.

The extended term of Lebanon’s municipal councils ends in May. The term of the municipal and mayoral councils lasts six years, while the deputies’ term lasts four.

Minister of Interior Bassam Mawlawi announced earlier this month that the elections will be held in stages from May 7-28, pledging to conduct them pending the completion of funding.

Joanna Wronecka, UN special coordinator for Lebanon, welcomed Mawlawi’s announcement, saying that the elections “offer an opportunity for citizens to make their voices heard and to enhance their involvement in local governance, and development and foster local ownership.”

She added: “The Lebanese people deserve effective, responsive and accountable state institutions at all levels. Municipalities are also a key partner for the UN in delivering assistance.”

The Lebanese government estimated that it required about $8.9 million to conduct the municipal elections.

The electoral process needs about 12,000 workers and 800 judges to organize. However, those targets are affected by a strike by the majority of Lebanon’s public workers and teachers over salary deflation.

Since the outset of the economic crisis in 2019, municipalities have suffered financially. Some have complained about their inability to carry out their developmental role.

There are 1,059 municipalities in Lebanon, including 12,741 members, according to UNDP figures.

Since the last municipal elections conducted in 2016 amid a presidential vacuum, there have been 108 defunct municipalities run by the district administrator or governor.

There are 3,018 mayors responsible for issuing vital documents for citizens, such as birth and death certificates, as well as handling visa paperwork, extracts of records, residence certificates and more.

Municipal elections have often been affected by political and security issues in Lebanon. During the country’s civil war, 21 laws were issued to provide term extensions for municipalities and mayors.

Firas Hamdan, Change party representative, said that he regrets the state of the country in terms of “failure, impotence, recklessness and squabbling of responsibilities.”

He added: “There is an integrated political system and a political decision not to hold elections.”

Concerned government officials failed to attend a meeting of the joint parliamentary committees to discuss the elections and related expenses.

“The issue of holding elections has become almost impossible,” said Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Elias Bou Saab after the meeting of the parliamentary committees. “I will, in my personal capacity, propose a law to extend the term of the municipal and elective councils for four months.”

Saab blamed “the government and the interior minister” for the possible failure to hold the elections in May.

MP Ali Hassan Khalil of the Amal Movement bloc in Parliament said that “there is a logistical difficulty in holding the elections.”

MP George Adwan from the Lebanese Forces party said: “Despite our demand for months that the government do everything necessary to hold the municipal elections, it turned out that all the promises were false and the government has not taken any serious step to hold the elections.

“We hold the prime minister, the Cabinet and any party that contributed with or within this government, responsible for not holding these elections and all that results from the non-alternation of power.”

Adwan announced that he would “not participate in any legislative session convened by Parliament to approve the extension of municipal and elective councils before electing a president of the republic.”

MP Faisal Al-Sayegh said: “Everyone wants to hold municipal elections, but are we able to hold them? The issue is not only related to financing but also to logistical issues.”