Report: Opposition Seeks Transition Govt. ahead of Parliamentary Elections

The 2013 parliamentary elections cannot be held under a government that was not formed in a democratic manner, a leading opposition figure told the Kuwaiti al-Anba newspaper on Sunday.

It said: “A transitional government must be formed to oversee the elections and prepare the circumstances under which they can be held.”

It explained that the elections need more than just an electoral law, “but they are the product of suitable conditions.”

“The transitional government must be formed now in order to set the stage for next year’s polls,” it noted.

This entails eliminating “closed security zones” and bringing in Arab and international monitors to oversee the electoral process, said the opposition member.

Furthermore, it stressed that pressure needs to be exerted on President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Najib Miqati, and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat in order to convince them to form a transitional government.

It warned that the 2013 elections may not be even held under the current government, “which is subject to Hizbullah and the Syrian regime’s will.”

The March 14-led opposition has repeatedly said that the current government is “one-sided”, saying that it was formed under the threat of Hizbullah’s arms.

Disagreements have recently emerged over which electoral law must be adopted during next year’s elections.

President Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun have voiced their support for proportional representation.

Jumblat has meanwhile rejected the proposal, saying that it aims to limit his political weight.