Lebanese Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq announced on Friday that parliamentary elections, the first since 2009, will be held on May 6, 2018. He added that the Lebanese expatriates will be able to vote from abroad on April 22 and 28. The minister signed a decree setting the date of the polls, allowing the vote to go ahead for the first time in ten years. The election of the 128-member parliament has been postponed three times since the last time they were held, with politicians citing security concerns, political crisis and a dispute over the election law. Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s coalition government, which took office a year ago, agreed on the new election law in June, but setting the date was held up while officials debated technical details and registered Lebanese citizens abroad. The international community has repeatedly stressed the importance of Lebanon holding timely elections to restore confidence in its institutions and maintain stability.