Parliamentary Polls Nominees Reach 162 as Mustaqbal to Submit Candidacies Monday

A total of 162 candidates have so far submitted their nominations for the parliamentary elections as the deadline for the submissions looms on midnight on Tuesday, reported An Nahar daily on Sunday.

The Development and Liberation bloc of Speaker Nabih Berri and the Free Patriotic Movement MPs of Michel Aoun have submitted their candidacies, while the Mustaqbal bloc is expected to do so on Monday.

Hizbullah's Loyalty to the Resistance bloc is likely to submit its nominations on Monday or Tuesday without any changes to its MPs.

The Democratic Gathering of MP Walid Jumblat is expected to submit its nominations without making any changes to its current lawmakers also, added the daily.

Meanwhile, deputy Speaker Farid Makari announced to the daily that he will not run in the elections and neither will anyone from his family.

“This position does not mean that I am no longer committed to my ties to the Mustaqbal Movement, its leader MP Saad Hariri, and the March 14 alliance,” he explained.

“Should the elections be held, which I doubt, I will voice my backing to any March 14 list that runs in the Koura district,” he said.

The Lebanese Forces will submit a greater number of nominations than the number of lawmakers it currently enjoys at parliament, reported An Nahar.

It will also introduce changes to its nominees in the Bsharre district, whereby Joseph Ishaq will replace MP Elie Keyrouz.

It will also introduce a candidate in the northern Akkar region with the nomination of retired general Wehbeh Qatisha.

Two nominees will run in the Keserouan-Ftouh region, one in the northern Metn, five in Beirut's three districts, two in the southern metn, two in Jezzine, and one in the northern Bekaa region.

LF MP Joseph al-Maalouf announced that he will not run in the elections, freeing up a new LF nomination in the eastern city of Zahle.

Several officials have however expressed their doubts that the parliamentary elections will be held given the ongoing disputes over an electoral law, the vacuum in the presidency, and the tense security situation.

Berri has repeatedly voiced his rejection of the extension of parliament's term for a second time, but his visitors quoted him as saying on Saturday: “I don't mind vacuum at the parliament if the polls weren't staged.”

He warned that if the political arch-foes agreed to extend the legislatures term, then he would agree to delay the parliamentary elections even if it leads to further vacuum at state institutions.

Zahle MP Nicolas Fattoush proposed in August a draft-law for the extension by more than two years, citing security reasons.

On Thursday, the cabinet appointed the members of the committee that will oversee the parliamentary elections, naming ex-judge Nadim Abdul Malak as its head.

Last year, the rival MPs extended their tenure until November 2014 after they failed to agree on a new electoral draft-law.