Mustaqbal Urges Timely Polls under 'New, Consensual Law'

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday stressed “the importance of holding the parliamentary elections on time and without any delay, according to a new law that allows consensus among the various parties in line with the constitution and the Taef Accord.”

In a statement issued after its weekly meeting, the bloc also noted that “the developments and changes in the region and the world at several political, security and economic levels require all the main political leaders to be aware of the possible dangerous repercussions on the situations in Lebanon.”

“Everyone must be vigilant and keen on holding onto wisdom, equanimity, sobriety and flexibility, in order to reach solutions to the ongoing and impending problems,” Mustaqbal urged.

It also called for “strengthening national unity, enhancing stability and supporting the success of the new phase that Lebanon entered with the election of a president and the formation of a new government.”

While Mustaqbal has rejected that the electoral law be fully based on the proportional representation system, arguing that Hizbullah's arms would prevent serious competition in the party's strongholds, Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat has totally rejected proportional representation, even within a hybrid law, warning that it would “marginalize” the minority Druze community.

Hizbullah, Mustaqbal, the Free Patriotic Movement, AMAL Movement and the Lebanese Forces are meanwhile discussing several formats of a so-called hybrid electoral law that mixes proportional representation with the winner-takes-all system.

The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and the legislature has instead twice extended its own mandate.

The last polls were held under an amended version of the 1960 electoral law and the next vote is scheduled for May.