Beirut: US Special Envoy Tom Barrack warned Monday against political turmoil in Lebanon over the postponement of next year's parliamentary elections. 'Postponing the 2026 elections under the pretext of war would ignite major chaos within Lebanon, fracturing an already fragile political system and reigniting sectarian distrust,' Barrack said on the US social media company X.
According to Anadolu Agency, Barrack highlighted that Hezbollah's continued military and political dominance could delay elections to preserve its power base. This delay could allow Hezbollah 'to rebuild militarily, re-organize politically, and renegotiate the post-war balance of power before facing the electorate.' Barrack cautioned that any postponement of the elections would exacerbate divisions among Christian, Sunni, and reformist blocs, potentially triggering nationwide unrest similar to the protests in 2019.
'Elections in such a moment would expose [Hezbollah's] weakened standing, risk electoral setbacks for its allies, and embolden rival factions to challenge its dominance within Lebanon's fragile sectarian system,' Barrack elaborated. The parliamentary elections are scheduled for May to elect members of the 128-seat parliament. There was no immediate response from Hezbollah regarding Barrack's remarks.
The US envoy described a recently reached ceasefire deal in Gaza as 'the first tesserae in a renewed mosaic of partnership,' further referring to Syria and Lebanon as 'two vital pieces of this architecture of peace.' He urged Lebanon to 'quickly separate' from Hezbollah and complete the disarmament of the group to restore full state control over armed forces, emphasizing, 'Now is the time for Lebanon to act.'
In August, the Lebanese government approved a plan proposed by Barrack to bring all weapons under state control. However, Hezbollah rejected the plan, insisting on retaining its arms until Israel withdraws from five border outposts it occupies in the south, which violates a ceasefire agreement. Under the terms of the November 2024 truce, Israel was expected to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 2025. To date, it has only partially pulled out troops and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.