Lebanon delays local elections

BEIRUT: Lebanon´s parliament on Tuesday postponed municipal elections scheduled for next month, official media said, with the cash-strapped country mired in an unprecedented economic meltdown.

It is the second time the polls have been postponed, after they were initially scheduled to take place last year. No new date was announced for the vote.

“Parliament has approved a law extending the mandate of municipal councils... until May 31, 2024 at the latest,” the state-run National News Agency said.

Deputy parliament speaker Elias Bou Saab warned last week that “holding municipal elections has become almost impossible”, citing a lack of funds. The international community had urged Lebanese officials to hold the local vote on time.