Consensus push’s cabinet to ratify lowering voting age sooner
Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar told the Voice of Lebanon radio station on Friday that approving lowering the voting age to 18 was possible on the basis of Article 77, which allows for amendments of the constitution.
He added that the cabinet had four months after receiving the proposal to ratify it but said it would not take long, because all political parties supported the proposal.
He also said the draft law proposed by MP Boutros Harb to completely reject the naturalization of Palestinians in Lebanon aimed to respond to the opposition’s allegations, which claimed that the majority supported the Palestinians’ permanent settlement in the country.
Najjar said the proposal was a strong response on the legal and constitutional levels, but the two-thirds quorum needed was not reached. He confirmed that everyone rejected the Palestinians’ settlement.
The justice minister also said that President Michel Sleiman had honest intensions to resolve disagreements on the administrative appointments, and said he hoped the cabinet would make progress on its work.
He concluded that the ministers were not yet informed about the date of the next cabinet session.