In a statement issued on Monday, the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) called for taking all necessary measures to hold the municipality elections on time.

LADE stressed that any possible postponement would be for technical reasons, adding it should not exceed September 2010. The association called for the cabinet to announce a clear commitment in this respect and include it in its Ministerial Statement that is still being drafted.

LADE also called for restricting current discussions to reforms related to the municipalities’ electoral law, highlighting that those related to administrative decentralization and overall reorganization within municipalities as a whole should be addressed at a later stage.

LADE also urged the cabinet to ensure participation of the civil society and experts in carrying out the aforementioned reforms.

-NOW Lebanon