October 7, 2026
The issue of extending the term of the Grand Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, faces ongoing interactions and political and legal divisions, in conjunction with the appeal submitted before the State Shura Council, amid differences in the positions of Sunni representatives regarding this issue.
In this context, the rapporteur in the State Shura Council issued a review ruling that the extension was illegal, pending both Dar Al-Fatwa and the plaintiff submitting their observations in preparation for taking the appropriate final decision.
Regarding this file, MP Waddah Al-Sadiq confirmed, in a statement to Lebanon Debate, that the issue of extension is radically different from parliamentary and legislative work. He explained that his role as a representative is limited to legislation and political work, stressing that files of a legal nature are left to the competent authorities and Sharia councils alone to determine the position on them and the mechanism for dealing with them.
For his part, MP Ibrahim Mneimneh, in an interview with Lebanon Debate, said that the case was now in the custody of the administrative judiciary, indicating that he could not take a prior position, whether for or against the decision, or pre-empt the ruling on invalidating the extension. Mneimneh stressed the need to be patient and wait for the final word to be issued by the State Shura Council.
The political and judicial street is awaiting what the expected decision of the State Shura Council will result in, and what the repercussions of this appeal will be on the course of the file to extend Mufti Derian’s term.
