BEIRUT: The ministerial committee tasked with following up on the new electoral law is set to meet Monday afternoon amid staunch refusal by Speaker Nabih Berri for printing the biometric ID cards without competitive bidding.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri will chair the meeting at 2 p.m. at the Grand Serail, after it failed to reach a breakthrough last week.

Differences among the committee members are focused on two divisive issues: the adoption of the biometric voting cards and the voters’ preregistration.

Commenting on the committee’s meeting before visitors, Berri was quoted by Al-Hayat newspaper Monday saying: “As long as the elections will be held, the rest are details.”

Nevertheless, Berri stood his ground against any move to print biometric ID cards without a bidding made through the Tenders Department. He told his visitors that he refused any agreement struck among the political factors regarding this issue, explaining that the lack of time doesn’t excuse such agreements.

“I will not accept all attempts to print biometric IDs by mutual consent no matter what the justifications for that are being used and even if it only costs $1 million,” he said according to the daily.

Berri suggested that the Tenders Department starts the tender procedure for companies to start printing the ID cards for the 2022 parliamentary elections.

Additionally, the contract would include the immediate printing of a certain number of cards that could be used in the 2018 elections and consequently the Interior Ministry will hand those citizens their IDs. Yet, he said, the priority would be for those who were preregistered to vote outside of their hometowns.

“And those who have their card would vote at mega-centers along the coast and those who don't, would vote using the normal ID card or passports,” Berri added.