The International Support Group for Lebanon affirmed, in a statement issued after its meeting today, Friday, that the elections are first and foremost the right of the Lebanese people and part of their aspirations, as well as a sovereign responsibility that the Lebanese authorities must fulfill.
The group had met today in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, to review the preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Lebanon, which are scheduled to be held on the fifteenth of next May.
In its statement, the International Support Group commended the press statement issued by the Security Council on February 4, 2022, which stressed “Lebanon’s need to quickly adopt an appropriate budget for 2022, implement concrete reforms, and hold free and fair elections on time, stressing the need for all parties to ensure The safety and freedom of movement of UNIFIL.”
The need to speed up the preparations for the elections
While the International Support Group drew attention to the firm commitment of the international community to support the electoral process in Lebanon and to provide significant financial, material, technical and political support to this process, it stressed that “the elections are first and foremost a right of the Lebanese people and part of their aspirations, and it is a sovereign responsibility that must The Lebanese authorities fulfilled them.”
With the elections only three months away, the International Support Group urged that the preparations be expedited in respect of the applicable legal framework and the relevant constitutional deadlines.
The group also called on the authorities to quickly provide all the necessary resources and intensify the technical and administrative preparations to ensure that the electoral process proceeds properly and on time.
A call for responsible involvement in the electoral process
In its statement, the group particularly urged “the concerned authorities to allocate the necessary financial resources to conduct the elections inside Lebanon and abroad,” and to enable the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities and the Election Supervision Committee to fully perform their functions and to ensure that expatriate voting procedures are organized in a timely manner.
The International Support Group called on all political parties to “engage responsibly and constructively in the electoral process, maintain calm, and commit to holding peaceful elections for the benefit of the country and all Lebanese.”
The group also called on all political actors to “take all necessary steps to encourage and confirm the inclusion of female candidates in their electoral lists and to enhance women’s political representation and participation in all fields.”
The International Support Group concluded its statement, stressing that it “continues to stand by Lebanon and its people.”
Achieving sustainable peace
On the other hand, United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric stated that the Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major General Stefano Del Col, chaired today the first tripartite meeting of this year with senior officers of the Lebanese army and the Israeli army in Ras Naqoura.
This is the last tripartite meeting of General Del Col, who will soon end his term. He will be succeeded by the Spanish Major General Aroldo Lazaro Sainz at the head of UNIFIL.
At today’s tripartite meeting, General Del Col stressed that “we must all play our part to move from the technical level to the high-level goal of achieving sustainable peace.”
He said that UNIFIL’s open line of communications with the two parties remains “vital”, adding that through many Blue Line incidents, the Lebanese Army and the Israeli Army remained involved, providing time and space to de-escalate.
Source: United Nations website
