BEIRUT -- Legal and political observers in Lebanon have hailed as "a step forward" on Monday the formation of a panel tasked with monitoring the country's frothcoming parliamentary elections.

The 10-member panel, formed on December 13, is made up of representatives constitutional institutions such as Lebanon Bar Association, the judiciary and political experts with long experience in the elections affairs, Director of Programs Division of the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) Julia Abu Karroum said.

"The panel has a mandate to monitor the spending on electoral campaigns of political parties and the fairness of the voting process at the same time," she pointed out in a statement to KUNA.
"The LADE believes that the this achievement should be followed by other administrative and political moves relating to the issuance of voting cards, voting lists, and specifying the voting day," Abu Karroum added.

Her remarks were echoed by a judicial expert who deemed the formation of the panel as "incomplete achievement." "The move can be complete only when the Constitutional Council is set up," the expert said.

"The planned council is scheduled to decide on any irregularity spotted by the newly-formed panel. Without the council being formed, to whom the panel should table its observations on the electoral process," the source wondered. The panel was formed under Article No 12 of the Electoral Act No 25, adopted on October 9, 2009. -Kuna