Berri Reiterates Support for Electoral Law Based on Proportionality

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Monday that if the government re-implemented the 1960 electoral law for the upcoming 2013 elections then it would be a step backward, As Safir newspaper reported.

“Whoever is seeking to push this matter forward will be held responsible,” Berri said.

The speaker voiced his support for a new electoral law based on proportionality.

As Safir reported that the speaker discussed on Sunday with Interior Minister Marwan Charbel the matter, urging him to swiftly accomplish the new electoral draft law and refer it to the parliament.

For his part, Charbel told the daily that the discussions on adopting a proportional representation in the 2013 polls didn’t reach a standstill as the cabinet will retackle the matter after the Easter holidays.

He stressed that the proportional representation is better than the 1960 electoral law “or the cabinet would have to adopt the 1925 electoral law” if proportionality wasn’t approved.

According to An Nahar newspaper, President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Charbel agreed during a meeting they held at the Baabda Palace on Saturday to adopt the proportional representation as a key option.

Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported that the issue will be tackled by the cabinet again at the end of this month after Suleiman returns from his visit to Australia that is scheduled to take place on April 14.

The gatherers discussed a draft law proposed by Charbel on adopting the proportional representation system in the elections, under which Lebanon would be divided into 10 to 14 medium-sized electorates.

The options include considering Lebanon as one electoral district on the basis of proportionality, or maintaining the current electoral district division with the possibility of merging the small districts in one on the basis of merging the majority election and the proportional representation systems.