Aoun and Salam reportedly propose delaying elections to summer, Berri says no

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has told President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam that he is against postponing the parliamentary elections from spring to summer, pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper reported Monday.

The daily said Aoun and Salam proposed to delay the elections to the summer holiday when expats are in Lebanon for them to be able to participate in the vote.

The current electoral law only allows expats to vote for six newly-introduced seats in parliament. Sixty-five MPs, including those of the Lebanese Forces and constituting a parliamentary majority, demanded to amend the law in order to allow expats to vote for all 128 seats. Berri refused to discuss the draft law in parliament and has suggested many times that the expats who wish to vote come to Lebanon to do it.

Hezbollah and Amal argue that they do not enjoy the same campaigning freedom that other parties enjoy abroad and are objecting against the possible amendment.

The debate stirred a flurry of attacks between Berri and LF leader Samir Geagea.

Aoun and Salam proposed the summer delay to ease the tension, al-Akhbar said. Former PSP leader Walid Jumblat also intervened to try to persuade Berri to delay the elections until summer, an Amal official told al-Akhbar.