First formal push to postpone elections for a year

Lebanon is facing mounting political tension as debate intensifies over the future of the 2026 parliamentary elections. While the government continues formal preparations for elections scheduled in May 2026, ongoing security challenges (namely due to Hezbollah’s intransigence and Israeli violations; as both undermine Lebanese sovereignty and stability) disagreements over the electoral law (particularly diaspora voting) are deepening divisions between rival political camps.

This prompted a public call by Member of Parliament (MP) Adib Abdel Massih to postpone the vote, reigniting fears of institutional paralysis and a new constitutional crisis. From here, The Beiruter reached out to the aforementioned MP as well as to the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities to better understand the recent dynamics and issues facing the 2026 parliamentary elections.

MP Adib Abdel Massih calls for postponement of parliamentary elections amid security and legal concerns

Until recently, few lawmakers were willing to openly advocate delaying the elections. However, during a parliamentary session discussing the 2026 draft general budget law, MP Adib Abdel Massih became the first to state bluntly that the elections would likely not occur on time. He announced his intention to submit a formal bill postponing the vote for 1 year, arguing that political leaders should stop “misleading” the public about the country’s readiness.

His declaration broke a political taboo. Previous speculation about postponement had circulated quietly, but no prominent figure had taken ownership of the idea. Abdel Massih’s intervention transformed private concern into public controversy, forcing parties to confront the possibility of delay

In an exclusive interview with The Beiruter, MP Abdel Massih explained his proposal to postpone the upcoming parliamentary elections by 1 year, citing both security and legal challenges.

Hezbollah’s weapons dilemma:

Firstly, he stressed that the ongoing division in the country over Hezbollah’s weapons poses a major risk. Abdel Massih highlighted statements by Hezbollah figures, especially the Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem’s latest speech (whereby he vowed to support Iran and defend its regime and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei), warning that any conflict involving Iran could directly affect Lebanon, thus making elections under such conditions unsafe. The group’s weapons have also established an imbalance in rights amongst Lebanese.

Moreover, Abdel Massih added that according to plan outlined by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), at least a year to a year and a half is required to fully achieve monopoly of arms in the hands of the legitimate official institutions across the country as a whole.

“Based on this reality,” Abdel Massih stated, “elections cannot properly take place under such a threat, which could drag Lebanon into a war similar to what occurred in Gaza.”

Division over the substance of the electoral law:

Secondly, Abdel Massih also raised legal concerns. At the heart of the crisis lies a dispute over how Lebanese expatriates should vote.

The Lebanese Forces (LF), Kataeb Party, Change MPs, among others, want diaspora voters to cast ballots for all 128 parliamentary seats in their original districts in their country residence, equal to residents inside Lebanon. In contrast, the Amal-Hezbollah alliance and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) insist on preserving the current formula that allocates only 6 seats to expatriates worldwide. The disagreement is more than procedural; it reflects competing political calculations about electoral advantage. Failure to reach compromise could create a legislative deadlock severe enough to derail the election calendar entirely.

The government had previously submitted a draft law to abolish District 16 and cancel the megacenter provisions, noting that it cannot implement the current electoral law in its existing form. Meanwhile, registration abroad has already opened, with around 150,000 Lebanese citizens registering under the current law, creating potential administrative conflicts that only Parliament can resolve.

“So today we are faced with 2 options,” MP Abdel Massih noted: “either we go to Parliament and amend the law and find a solution for these 150,000 voters and for District 16, or we proceed to elections and the Interior Ministry struggles with implementation, only to reach a major problem at the end that no one knows how to solve.” However, he added that “neither a minister nor the government has the authority to fix this, because it requires an amendment in Parliament. This requires a legal amendment, but no parliamentary bloc is willing to grant such authority to the Council of Ministers.”

Additionally, drawing on a previous instance when the army and government were unable to make appointments due to legal limitations (ultimately requiring a last-minute extension of security chiefs’ mandates) he cautioned that elections could face a similar outcome. The MP stressed that failing to find a solution could force an automatic last-minute extension, initiated and imposed by Hezbollah’s bloc and on the latter’s terms. Therefore, he aimed to propose the draft law for the elections’ postponement for 1 year, citing Hezbollah and the electoral law’s substance as the primary drivers behind this decision. Interestingly, Abdel Massih revealed that various MPs requested to postpone the elections for even 2 years (as the 1-year-proposal would just exhaust the candidates), claiming that 49 MPs genuinely supported it.

While acknowledging the potential for delay, Abdel Massih underlined that holding elections on schedule remains the preferable outcome. He framed his remarks as a realistic reflection of Lebanon’s current political environment, highlighting the delicate balance between security, legal, and political considerations.

Minister of Interior and Municipalities moves forward

Despite the political storm, informed sources from the Lebanese Ministry of Interior and Municipalities revealed to The Beiruter that Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar signed a decree calling electoral bodies to convene on 3 May 2026, in accordance with the constitutional deadlines which the minister vowed to observe since assuming office. Lebanese law requires the government to initiate the electoral process at least 90 days prior to the scheduled vote. The aforementioned sources asserted that this step is a legal obligation, taken while lawmakers continue to debate possible amendments to the election law.

Meanwhile, legal experts, such as Said Malik, note that previous attempts to challenge such decrees have failed. A 2007 precedent established that the Lebanese State Council lacks jurisdiction to invalidate a decree calling voters to the polls because it is considered a preparatory act tied to the electoral process, not a standalone administrative decision. This suggests that any future challenge would likely face the same legal barrier.

In conclusion, Lebanon stands at a crossroads between democratic continuity and institutional regression. The debate over election timing and diaspora voting has exposed fragile trust between political factions and highlighted the risks of governance by stalemate. While formal preparations for the 2026 elections continue, unresolved disputes threaten to overshadow the process. The coming months will determine whether Lebanon reinforces its democratic commitments or slips further into uncertainty at a moment when stability is urgently needed.