The General Assembly of the Lebanese Parliament approved extending the council’s term by two years in the session held today, Monday. Seventy-six members voted in favor of the extension, 41 opposed it, and four abstained.

The extension was opposed by the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb Party, and the Free Patriotic Movement.

George Adwan

MP George Adwan emphasized that “what happened today in Parliament is something we did everything possible to prevent because it was time to change the previous approach, which conflicts with the constitution and the concept of institutions.”

He added, “The constitution is not a matter of opinion, and if we applied the concept of the state, Lebanon and all citizens would have been spared this painful conflict and the extension.”

He also noted, “The Constitutional Council will face a test today: will it adhere to its previous rulings or go beyond them?”

Samy Gemayel

Kataeb Party leader MP Samy Gemayel said, “As we stated before the session, we were convinced that elections could not take place under these circumstances and had to be postponed. We considered that a one-year postponement was the best option, which is why we voted against a two-year extension.”

Parliamentary elections in Lebanon had been scheduled for next May.

The Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc in Parliament (Nabil Ismail).

Amid Israeli airstrikes shaking the southern suburbs of Beirut and other areas in Lebanon, the Parliament convened with the attendance of members of the “Loyalty to the Resistance” bloc, led by MP Mohammad Raad. This followed Israeli reports of an assassination attempt against him in an attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs last Monday, March 1.