Suleiman Says Postponement of Polls Possible Only to Draft Electoral Law

President Michel Suleiman reiterated on Tuesday his rejection to link the government crisis to the national dialogue and stressed that the parliamentary elections could only be postponed for a short period to pave way for the completion of drafting a new electoral law.

“I will not accept any misused extension of parliament's mandate and won't sign any decree in that regard,” Suleiman told a delegation from the Press Club.

The 2013 parliamentary elections will be held on time, he said, adding they could be postponed for a short period that does not exceed the two or three months for technical reasons only.

Such reasons include the drafting of a new electoral law following a final deal between the different parliamentary blocs.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel hinted on Sunday that the current parliament's term would be extended for six months if it was not able to agree on a new electoral law or amend the 1960 law that is based on a winner-takes-all system.

An Nahar newspaper quoted him as saying that he would exert all efforts to amend the current law but did not rule out a six-month extension of the legislature's term during which the assembly would adopt a new draft-law or amend the 1960 law's articles.

Suleiman was also quoted as saying on Tuesday that it would be a mistake to link the government crisis that erupted last month to the national dialogue.

Boycotting is a democratic right, he said, but he described it as an “exceptional right” in case of a force majeure.

“Let them come to the dialogue (session) and directly announce their desire to change the government and hear the response,” Suleiman said about the March 14 opposition members, who have announced they would boycott a new round of all-party talks set to be held at Baabda Palace on Thursday over their rejection to sit at the dialogue table with Hizbullah.

The alliance has blamed Prime Minister Najib Miqati's government for the Oct. 19 assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau chief Wissam al-Hasan, conditioning its participation in the national dialogue to the cabinet's resignation.

Suleiman said there are several suggestions on the form of any future government including a national unity or majority or neutral cabinet.

“That's why only the change of government should be discussed at the dialogue table and not the government's structure which falls within the constitutional authority of the president and the prime minister,” he told the visiting delegation.

In his meeting with members of the Press Club, Suleiman also stressed the importance of abiding by the Baabda Declaration.

“We have to a certain extent implemented the policy of neutrality at the level of executive authority,” he said.

In the Baabda Declaration, which was made in June after the first national dialogue in over 18 months, rival political leaders pledged to commit themselves to dialogue and political, security and media pacification, avoid speeches that fuel sectarian incitement and bolster stability to prevent Lebanon from sliding into sectarian strife.

The Declaration said stability must be maintained along the border with Syria and that neither a “buffer zone” nor a “base or corridor for the smuggling of arms and gunmen” would be acceptable.