Change and Reform Rejects 'Encroachment on President Powers', Urges Abolition of 20 Parliamentary Seats

The Change and Reform parliamentary bloc announced Tuesday that it is against “any encroachment on the president's powers,” amid a row between President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri over who between them has the jurisdiction to open an extraordinary legislative session.

“We reject any encroachment on the president's powers,” Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil said after the bloc's weekly meeting, adding that “the Constitution's articles are clear in this regard.”

He however reassured that “there is no political dispute” over the issue of opening an extraordinary session, noting that Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri are inclined to do so.

Turning to the issue of the latest electoral proposal – proportional representation in 15 districts – Bassil said the suggested law needs “several restraints” to ensure proper Christian representation.

“The needed restraints are the prevention of any numerical hegemony and respecting regional and sectarian representation,” Bassil said.

As for the controversy over the issue of moving some seats from Muslim-majority regions to Christian-majority regions, Bassil said: “Until the moment, we have not spoken of moving seats.”

But he called for “the implementation of the Taef Accord and returning the number of parliamentary seats to 108,” noting that the Syrian regime had “added seats to manipulate people's will” during the presence of Syrian forces in Lebanon.