Hashem raises fundamental questions regarding voting by residents abroad and confirms: “There is no postponement under any name.”

Representative Qasim Hashem, a member of the “Liberation and Development Bloc,” confirmed that the parliamentary elections will be held on the scheduled date, “and there will be no postponement under any name,” stressing that President Nabih Berri asked the current representatives to submit their nominations, “and they did, and this is a clear indication that there is no change among them.”

Al-Diyar, Hashim explained that he did not see any obstacle to holding the elections, recalling that the municipal and elective elections had been held previously despite the difficult circumstances, especially in the south in light of the continuing Israeli attacks, and that the government then decided to hold the elections only two months after its formation and at the beginning of the era, and the process took place smoothly.

Hashem denied what was said about the ambassadors of the “Five-Year Committee” wishing President Berri to postpone the elections, referring to the clarification issued by the media office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, which confirmed that what was reported was inaccurate, and that the President noticed an atmosphere indicating the issue of postponement without any official request, and no ambassador mentioned requesting or wishing to postpone the elections.

He stressed that the elections will be held in accordance with the applicable law and by consensus, including the articles related to District 16, considering that issuing implementing decrees for this district is the responsibility of the government.

Hashem wondered about the fate of expatriates who registered abroad to vote for the six representatives in District 16, and how their right to vote for a district that has not yet been administratively established will be dealt with. He also raised a question about expatriates voting for the 128 representatives, after this happened once in the 2022 elections, wondering whether they have the right to do so this time, as the Legislation and Consultation Commission saw.

He considered that the Commission’s interpretation that was communicated to the Minister of the Interior was non-binding, warning that adopting it might expose the elections to challenge, stressing that expatriates will vote in Lebanon during this session.