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Parliament OKs March 27 Polls Date, Axes Expat Seats amid Bassil Objection
[An Nahar] Parliament on Tuesday voted to approve a bill bringing forward the elections date from May to March 27, as it amended the electoral law to cancel the six expat seats as well as megacenters and the magnetic voting card.Free Patriotic MovementDespite its name a Christian party allied with Hizbullah, neither free nor particularly patriotic... chief MP Jebran Bassil meanwhile objected to the change of the elections date and the cancellation of expat seats and megacenters. "The meteorological department says storms might occur on the elections’ scheduled date, which might make the process difficult, in addition to the coincidence of electoral deadlines with the fasting of Christian sects," Bassil said. As for the six expat seats, Bassil stated: "This is a right and a national achievement that was made in 2017, so why is there an attempt to back down from it now? What are you afraid of? If it wasn’t for these expats, the country would have collapsed, and you’re finding it too much to grant them six MPs?" Responding to Bassil’s warning that there might be legal challenges before the Constitutional Council, Berri said: "Let no one threaten me. I allow anything but threats." Bassil had also insisted on electoral megacenters, arguing that "they lessen influences and transportation costs for voters," but Interior Minister Bassam al-Mawlawi said the issue needs a law. Posted by: Fred 2021-10-20 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=615518 |