Lebanon is bracing for a potential political escalation as Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri appears poised to attach the government’s electoral law draft to seven other pending proposals before the parliamentary committee reviewing the issue, raising fears of a serious deadlock.

According to Annahar, the country is witnessing a growing race between the threat of renewed conflict and an internal political crisis, centered on the long-standing dispute over amending the electoral law to allow Lebanese expatriates to vote for all 128 parliamentary seats. The issue is approaching a critical deadline at the end of this month, which marks the final day for expat voter registration unless the law is amended.

The stakes were highlighted on Thursday when Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji submitted a proposal outside the Cabinet session agenda, calling for an extension of the registration period for non-resident voters until the end of December. The Cabinet session, chaired by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Grand Serail, did not approve the request.

Meanwhile, parliamentary blocs, political parties, and government officials are closely monitoring how Speaker Berri will handle the expedited draft law once it is formally submitted to the Parliament Secretariat early next week. The government-approved draft includes amendments enabling expatriates to vote for all parliamentary seats.

Sources cited by Annahar warned that Berri’s expected move to combine the government’s draft with the seven other pending proposals could push the stalemate to its peak, further deepening the crisis. The uncertainty could particularly affect Lebanese expatriates preparing to register and vote, creating what observers describe as “a serious threat to democratic participation.”