International pressure to push Lebanon to hold parliamentary elections on time
February 12, 2022, 2:08 pm

International pressure to push Lebanon to hold parliamentary elections on time

Lebanon-Armenian street/Pixabay

The Asharq Al-Awsat reported, the International Support Group for Lebanon (ISG) has openly joined forces to push the Lebanese authorities to hold the parliamentary elections on their scheduled date on May 15.

The ISG met in Beirut on Friday to review preparations for the upcoming polls.

An official statement said that echoing the recent Security Council press statement on Lebanon, and recalling its previous statements, the ISG reiterated its call for free, fair, transparent and inclusive elections, as scheduled on May 15.

It added: “The ISG noted that while the international community was deeply committed to and had provided significant financial, material, technical and political support to Lebanon’s electoral process, the elections are first and foremost a right and expectation of the people of Lebanon and a sovereign responsibility which is incumbent on the authorities to deliver on.”

Three months before the election, the International Support Group urged “expeditious preparatory work respecting the existing legislative framework and the constitutional timelines.”

Lebanon-Sign of Lebanese politician, Bachir Gemayel, in Beirut/Pixabay

The ISG also called on the relevant authorities to “promptly make available all the necessary resources and intensify technical and administrative preparations to ensure the timeliness and integrity of the electoral process.”

Hassan Nasrallah denounces Kuwait's proposals but backs Lebanon-Gulf dialogue

The ISG brings together representatives of the United Nations and the governments of China, France, Germany, Italy, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, in addition to the European Union and the Arab League. It was launched in September 2013 by the UN Secretary-General with former President Michel Sleiman to help mobilize support and assistance for Lebanon’s stability, sovereignty and state institutions.

In its statement, the ISG urged “relevant bodies to allocate the necessary financial resources to hold the elections in Lebanon and abroad, enable the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities and the Supervisory Commission for Elections to be fully functional, and ensure timely organization for the conduct of the diaspora voting.”

UN Security Council demands Lebanon to implement reforms

In this context, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rai reiterated the importance of respecting the constitutional deadlines and the necessity of holding the parliamentary and presidential elections on time.

Rai met on Friday with US Ambassador Dorothy Shea, with whom he discussed local, regional and international issues. The patriarch thanked the diplomat for her country’s permanent support for Lebanon and the Lebanese army.

Source: aawsat

Boris Johnson focused on Ukraine, not police questionnaire Nine people killed and three injured in feud between Philippine Muslim clans

Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.