Lebanese Municipal Elections Delayed Due to Dire Deficit Dilemma

Lebanon’s parliament has approved a bill to extend the mandate of municipal councils for up to one year, postponing their elections due to a lack of funding. The current term of the councils was to end on May 31, 2023. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elias Bou Saab stated that the extension was necessary due to public administration strikes and the failure to secure the required funding for holding the elections.

Municipal elections in Lebanon are held every six years, and the term of the municipal councils elected in 2016 was originally supposed to end in May 2022, but it was postponed to this year because it coincided with parliamentary elections. As the country faces a severe financial crisis, funding is considered a significant obstacle to holding the elections, which are estimated to cost around $12 million.

A total of 12,474 council members from 1,055 municipalities will have their mandate extended.