Lebanon sets date of parliamentary elections for May 6

Lebanon has set the date for the country’s first parliamentary elections in nine years, scheduling the vote for May 6.

The official National News Agency reported on Friday that Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk signed a decree setting the date. For the first time, Lebanese nationals living overseas will be able to cast ballots in early voting.

Lebanon’s parliament has postponed elections several times over security reasons. Its term was supposed to expire in 2013 but lawmakers approved several extensions since then, the last one in June for another 11 months.
Activists accuse politicians of delaying the vote for political reasons.

The vote is expected to be a major test for both Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah.

In his televised announcement from Saudi Arabia on November 4, Hariri announced his resignation, accusing Tehran and Hezbollah of destabilizing his country.

Hariri’s shock resignation announcement sent tremors through Lebanon, long a proxy battleground of regional powers.

The Lebanese leader remained in Riyadh for two weeks, sparking speculation that he was being held hostage by the Saudis.

But he eventually returned home and agreed to stay on as premier after securing an agreement from Hezbollah that Lebanon should keep out of regional conflicts.

Last week, the Lebanese cabinet issued a joint statement to reaffirm their commitment to staying out of regional conflicts and apparently put an end to the month-long Hariri saga.