BEIRUT: The Parliament’s subcommittee failed Tuesday to agree on a draft proposal for an electoral law as the Lebanese Forces suspended its participation in the committee and disputes emerged on various issues.
The Lebanese Forces’ decision came as it was pushing for a date to be set for a legislative session in order to decide on an electoral law as the subcommittee, chaired by MP Robert Ghanem, adjourned this week for the seventh time.
“Some wanted the committee to be just a tool in order to pass time in the issue of presidency, which unfortunately it seems will not happen soon,” LF MP George Adwan said.
Meanwhile, Ghanem said he would discuss with Speaker Nabih Berri Adwan’s decision as the panel is set to meet again Thursday.
“I will meet with Berri and consult with him regarding this topic,” Ghanem said after the subcommittee concluded the meeting.
The speaker reminded his visitors Monday evening that the new electoral law should win the approval of the new president, adding that the agreement should not be breached. Berri said the LF stance would not impede the work of the parliamentarycommittee.
In the previous session held last week, Adwan said that the proposals for a new electoral law should be taken to the Parliament to prevent the subcommittee from dragging out the discussions.
Adwan expressed his refusal for linking the electoral law issue to the presidency and government.
Hence, the LF wants to cut to the chase and is asking for a timeframe to be set.
“There’s also a proposal on the need to see what the president [when elected] thinks [of the electoral law] and another suggestion to put new draft laws,” Adwan said. “We felt that there are attempts to sabotage the issue to take this matter to the general assembly.”
The subcommittee includes lawmakers from both March 8 and March 14 and it has been tasked to look into draft proposals of new electoral law submitted by various blocs.
Among the draft laws being studied is one presented by MP Ali Bazzi from Berri’s parliamentary bloc. Based on the draft, half of the 128-member Parliament will be elected based on proportional representation and the remaining half will be chosen based on a winner-takes-all-system.
The Future Movement, Progressive Socialist Party and LF have proposed another voting system.
According to the latter, 60 lawmakers would be elected under a winner-takes-all system and the remaining 68 based on proportional representation.
“We are keen on having a new law that will act as a point of intersection between Lebanese where they feel that it will take into account fair representation and will be accepted by all components,” Adwan added.
Last month, Ghanem, who also heads Parliament’s Administration and Justice Committee, said that Berri would call on Parliament to convene in an attempt to look into the presented proposals and whether or not the subcommittee is able to agree on one.
It seems that might have triggered LF’s decision to urge the general assembly to meet.
The committee was given until the end of December to agree on a law to replace the 1960 law, which was adopted in the last parliamentary elections in 2009 and is relatively unpopular among a number of Christian parties who believe that it didn’t safeguard a safe representative for their community. Yet, what the LF seems to have missed is that Parliament can’t meet to pass an electoral law without a president.
MP Qassem Hashem, from Berri’s bloc, explained that a clause linked the passing of an electoral law and a presidential election was part of the law passed to enable the second extension of Parliament last month.
Hashem, who isn’t a member of the subcommittee, added that for any general assembly session to be held, an amendment in this clause was required.
In addition to the LF veto, the subcommittee was also faced with a rejection from the Kataeb Party for a law based on electoral districts.
Another stalemate was caused by the Free Patriotic Movement, which has requested from Berri a clarification of the Constitution’s Article 24, which tackles the issue of equality and parity between Muslims and Christians in the electoral law.
The FPM has called for the general assembly to meet to clarify it.
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