Electoral Supervisory Committee Says ‘No Power over Political Candidates’

Fuente: 
Naharnet
Fecha de publicación: 
23 Abr 2018

The Electoral Supervisory Committee acknowledged on Monday that the powers entrusted to it do not include powers over candidates from the political class.

“The authority given to the electoral supervisory committee do not include powers over political candidates,” head of the committee, ex-Judge Nadim Abdul Malak told reporters during a press conference.

Abdul Malak also stressed that “jurisdictions given to the committee were not curtailed. You are making this committee claim much bigger responsibility than that entrusted by law,” he told reporters incessantly asking about the committee’s lack of response towards the “misuse of government powers and resources.”

He assured that the committee practices its tasks “independently and in coordination with the interior minister.”

The conference came after Head of the Lebanese Handicapped Union, Silvana al-Laqqis, a supervisory committee member announced her resignation over the weekend, citing “restrictions preventing the committee from practicing its role as a supervisory body.”

The Electoral Supervisory Committee conference comes amid reports that some “government” candidates are misusing positions and government resources to serve electoral campaigns.

However, Abdul Malak said the committee “is documenting everything happening, and will be ready to present them before the Constitutional Council shall it be asked to do so.”

Some 16 ministers, out of Lebanon’s 30 member Cabinet are running in the parliamentary elections, including Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

Lebanese electoral law only approved in 2017, does not ban ministers from running for Parliament.

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