Report: Baabda Circles Explain Aoun's 'Historic' Move
President Michel Aoun's move where he invoked his constitutional powers to adjourn the parliament for one month, is only the second in Lebanon's history since 1926, media reports said on Thursday.
In their first interpretation, Presidential Palace sources told al-Joumhouria daily that “Aoun has used his constitutional powers to freeze the work of the parliament under article 59 of the constitution, replicating a similar move in 1926 when then president did the same.”
The sources stressed that Aoun's step “constitutes a full exercise of the President's powers that came to control an emerging crisis as the result of ignoring the role and jurisdictions of the President.”
“None of the former presidents have used this jurisdiction before the Taef Agreement,” the sources noted, adding “they used to send messages to the parliament that were recited by the Speaker in the first public session held and then placed in the drawer.”
On Wednesday, Aoun addressed the nation from the Presidential Palace and said he is invoking his constitutional powers to adjourn the parliament for one month.
Lebanon's deputies were set to vote in Parliament on Thursday to postpone national elections and extend their term for a third time since 2013.
The President justified the adjournment to give legislators time to craft a new election law and hold elections as quickly as possible.
Lebanon's political parties say it is time to scrap the country's 1960 voting law that allocates seats by religious sect, but disagree over what system should replace it.
Aoun says he was elected president last October with the mandate of ushering in a new law, and elections.
Opposition parties and civic groups are threatening demonstrations against any parliamentary extension tomorrow.
Article 59 of the Constitution (as amended by Constitutional Law issued on October 17, 1927) says: The President of the Republic may postpone the meeting of the parliament to a period not exceeding one month and shall not do so twice in a single term.
Source: Naharnet, Associated Press
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