Lebanon to postpone May elections amid unprecedented escalation in region

The Lebanese government has announced that parliamentary elections scheduled for May will be delayed, due to uncertainty in the region.

President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have agreed to extend the parliament's term by two years, as Israel launches a new assault on Lebanon.

The decision comes as Israel collapsed the ceasefire with Lebanon, pounding the south of the country following joint US strikes on Iran which killed the prominent Shia figure and the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.

The decision to postpone the elections still requires the approval of a majority of Lebanon's 128-member legislature.

Official Lebanese sources told The New Arab’s Arabic language sister publication, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, that "an agreement was reached between the leaders to postpone the elections, amid the impossibility of holding elections under the current circumstances, for several reasons, including the ongoing war on Lebanon, Israel’s escalation of its aggression and the expansion on Lebanese territory".

The sources also said the delay was due to the "increase in the number of displaced people who have resorted to staying in schools for shelter", noting that they are usually used as polling stations during elections.

The decision was reached following intensive discussions between Aoun, Berri, and Salam, before it was decided on Tuesday.

Discussions on Wednesday are reportedly centred on the constitutional framework for the move, with Berri expected to call for a legislative session as soon as possible.

According to information obtained by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elias Bou Saab is leading communications between parliamentary blocs.

Several lawmakers are working on drafting the proposed legislation, with one of them - among them MP Neemat Frem - set to submit an urgent, repeated draft law seeking to extend the current parliament’s term by two years.

This comes as moves are underway to convince all parliamentary blocs to vote for the law when it is presented in a session convened by the speaker of parliament, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

Some disagreements have emerged over the duration of the postponement, as some blocs, most notably the Lebanese Forces, consider the two-year delay too long, and suggest instead six months or a year.

Lebanon last held parliamentary elections in 2022, but the latest developments come as the country was pulled into the conflict amid Israel and US strikes on Iran.

Hezbollah reacted to the strikes on Tehran by launching missiles at Israel, which was met with Israel sending troops into the south and pounding areas, triggering mass displacement.

At least 30,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon amid the escalation, the UN refugee agency said this week, with the number expected to grow.