Electoral Subcommittee Meetings Plagued by Persisting Lack of Consensus

The electoral subcommittee failed to reach a common ground over the electoral law, blowing over once again the parliamentary session that was set to take place on Saturday.

 

Following the morning meeting, Berri refuted press reports claiming possible exchange deals, stressing that he does not wish to extend the parliament's tenure, "not even for one single day."

 

"Extension after May 31 requires an extraordinary parliamentary session," he told press reporters, pointing out that such step requires a presidential decree.

 

The House Speaker made it clear that members of the electoral subcommittee will have either to agree on an electoral law or approve the extension of the Parliament's term on extension; otherwise, "we'll definitely go to elections under the 1960 law".

 

MTV correspondent at the Parliament said that Berri told Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam that he would have to form an expanded cabinet lineup that includes all local factions if elections were doomed to be postponed.

 

It is to note that the lawmakers of the March 8 coalition were waiting for answers from LF MP George Adwan and Al Mustaqbal MP Ahmed Fatfat on the hybrid electoral proposal they had put forward for discussion.

 

It is reported that March 8's remarks are mainly pertaining to the district of Beirut and the need to follow the same standards in all other electorates.

 

Berri said the draft is "not based on solid ground", as it does not apply unified standards across all electoral districts.

 

The subcommittee resumed talks at 6 PM, raising this time fears of an extension of the parliament's term as well as the holding of parliamentary elections under the 1960 law.

 

Following the evening meeting, Al Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Ahmad Fatfat reiterated that both the 1960 electoral law and the Orthodox proposal are categorically rejected, considering that only the hybrid proposal can pull the country out of the ongoing stalemate.

 

He also stressed that if a "technical extension" of the parliament's term is to take place, it will not exceed five months.

 

LF lawmaker George Adwan noted that his party called on Berri to hold a parliamentary session during which all electoral proposals would be put to the vote, claiming that the hybrid electoral law his party proposed along with Al Mustaqbal Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party "is supported by the majority of parliament."

 

On the other hand, Kataeb bloc MP Samy Gemayel voiced his rejection of the current version of the proposed mixed electoral law saying that "we cannot divide some provinces and keep others undivided because that is considered a red line."

 

"We couldn't agree on a selective electoral system in which districts are not equally divided", he noted.

 

Gemayel called for "setting objective, unified standards to be incorporated in the electoral law," in order to "let people choose their representatives instead of deciding beforehand the MPs who are going to win."

 

The Kataeb MP had earlier called on Speaker Berri to convoke the parliament's general assembly to discuss all electoral proposals, saying "let democracy prevail and each lawmaker votes for the option he deems correct".

 

Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Ali Fayyad also criticized the mixed electoral law, saying "it is riddled with flaws".

 

Fayyad deemed the proposal as the "weirdest law I have ever witnessed", considering that it was tailored to fit the interests of the March 14 coalition.

 

We gave the proposal a chance despite all the aforementioned remarks and we tried to introduce some essential amendments, but only a few amendments were accepted and the largest part of amendments has not been approved until the moment," he added.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"What we rejected in the hybrid proposal is that it excluded three electoral districts, Bsharri, Batroun and Sidon, from the mixed system, by subjecting them instead to the winner-takes-all system", the lawmaker noted.

 

He added that Amal Movement has suggested amendments to the said law, but "the majority of these amendments were not accepted."

 

"We agreed on dividing the South into two electoral districts according to the two southern governorates, and called for following suit across Lebanon by dividing all regions into two governorates", he said.

 

Change and Reform bloc MP Alain Aoun also shared the Kataeb and Amal Movement's criticism of the mixed electoral law, saying that discussions are failing to yield positive outcome since the proposed hybrid system is based on nonconcurrent standards.

 

"The mixed law is not based on one standard… If the province of Mount Lebanon is to be divided for sectarian purposes, then why don't we divide other provinces, such as Beirut for example?"

 

"We cannot divide Mount Lebanon in an absurd manner for the sake of the special status of the Druze which we respect, but this role must not be at the expense of Christians," he noted.

 

"We are trying to make amendments to the mixed law in order to ensure fair representation for the Christians."

 

The Free Patriotic Movement lawmaker also stressed that his party is "trying to avoid the extension of the parliament's term and the adoption of the 1960 electoral law."

 

He revealed that Berri will raise his own hybrid proposal for discussion again, noting that the distribution of seats and the discussion of Berri's proposal might lead to an agreement.

 

Aoun considered that "our last chance is to discuss the mixed electoral law proposed by Berri and introduce amendments to it."

 

Tashnag Party MP Hagop Pakradounian said that "the Armenian seats in Metn, Beirut and the Bekaa are not negotiable and they belong to their owners and to the Armenian parties."

"Non-Armenian parties cannot swap seats at our expense and I call on our allies and others to understand this point," he affirmed.

Al Mustaqbal bloc Armenian MP Serge Torsarkissian lashed out at demands calling for an additional district in Ashrafiyeh with the aim of securing the win of March 8.

"We were also surprised when they said that without dividing Ashrafiyeh they would not agree to any solution," Torsarkissian added

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"Speaker Berri's proposal does not contain any standards, that's why we urge our colleagues to be realistic so that we can reach a result," he went on to say.