Berri Won't Endorse Electoral Law that 'Doesn't Enjoy Consensus'

Speaker Nabih Berri announced Wednesday that he will not endorse any electoral law that “does not enjoy consensus.”

“Contacts and discussions are still ongoing in a bid to agree on a new electoral law and new ideas are being discussed,” MPs quoted Berri as saying during his weekly meeting with lawmakers in Ain el-Tineh.

“We are still in the phase of mulling proposals and we have not yet reached a dead end,” Berri added.

“We reiterate the need to apply unified standards (in the electoral law format) and I will not endorse any law that does not enjoy consensus,” the speaker went on to say.

Berri's AMAL Movement, Hizbullah, al-Mustaqbal Movement and the Free Patriotic Movement are holding meetings aimed at agreeing on a new electoral law.

The Progressive Socialist Party has meanwhile raised the alarm over the representation of the minority Druze community, warning that any electoral law containing the proportional representation system would “marginalize” Druze in the political system.