Kataeb MPs Samy Gemayel, Selim Sayegh, Elias Hankach and Nadim Gemayel along with "Tajadod" Bloc MPs Michel Mouawad, Fouad Makhzoumi, and Ashraf Rifi and Change MPs Waddah Sadek and Michel Douaihy, as well as MP Bilal Hocheimi filed a constitutional challenge against the law extending the term of municipal councils, basing the challenge on several reasons.

The first reason is the violation of the law in question to the constitution's preamble and the provisions of Article 7, particularly the constitutional principles related to democracy, the right to vote, the periodicity of elections, and the principle of separation, balance, and cooperation of powers.

The second reason is the impermissibility of invoking exceptional circumstances to extend the term for all municipal and elective councils because the justification provided in the compelling reasons is limited to combat operations in certain areas only.

The third reason is the danger of postponing municipal elections for the third time due to the likelihood of its continuation beyond the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Kataeb’s Head of Public Policy and Legislation Lara Saade who articulated the challenge, said: "The third extension of the municipal and elective councils is the primary reason for this challenge as it is the most dangerous. Although the law stipulated the extension until mid-2025, we actually fear its continuation until 2027. "

"Municipal elections will not be held in 2025 nor in 2026, which coincide with the parliamentary elections, thus making the extension inevitable for the year 2027," she added.

"The second point the challenge is based on is the failure to address the situation in the South where war is ongoing and elections are not feasible. However, these reasons only justify the lack of elections in the South and in dangerous areas, which are limited. In safe areas, the reasons preventing the elections have failed. Therefore, the Constitutional Council should review the compelling reasons and consider them incomplete and not covering the entirety, i.e., partially nullifying the law and forcing the ruling authority to conduct the municipal and elective elections on time in 2024, and prevent it from continuing to encroach on democracy and obstruct constitutional entitlements," she noted.

For his part, MP Waddah Sadek  said: "We have challenged the extension law for municipalities for the second time, in the face of officials' insistence on achieving their personal interests, disregarding people's demands, while the majority of the municipalities are dissolved or resigned. The Constitutional Council should make a decision drawing a line between the constitutional violations committed over the years and leading us to where we are today."

He considered that "The only reason for delaying municipal elections is to achieve the interests of the system by maintaining its control over the municipalities and fearing the loss of some seats."

"It seems there is no intention to conduct any reform at the country level," he concluded.