March 14 MPs Make an Exception and End Boycott of Electoral Subcommittee

March 14 opposition alliance lawmakers have decided to attend the meeting of a parliamentary subcommittee studying electoral draft-laws but they will continue to boycott all other legislative activity, media reports said Monday.

An Nahar newspaper said that the decision to end the boycott of the committee came following negotiations between Speaker Nabih Berri and his deputy, MP Farid Makari, “to facilitate the discussions on a new electoral law that guarantees the widest representation possible of all Lebanese.”

However, the deal was struck on condition that the meeting is held at the residence of one of the March 14 MPs, including the house of Makari in Rabieh, for security reasons after several opposition lawmakers and officials received death threats.

The committee, which is headed by the deputy speaker, includes opposition lawmakers Sami Gemayel, George Adwan, Ahmed Fatfat and Serge Torsarkissian.

Its members from the March 8 majority coalition are MPs Alain Aoun, Ali Bazzi, Ali Fayyad, Hagop Pakradounian in addition to lawmaker Akram Shehayyeb, who belongs to the National Struggle Front of centrist lawmaker Walid Jumblat.

According to al-Joumhouria newspaper, Makari will visit Berri in Ain el-Tineh on Monday to inform him about the final stance of the March 14 lawmakers to end the boycott of the subcommittee, which was formed last month to study controversial electoral draft-laws.

Several March 14 coalition MPs warned Berri on Friday against a call for a meeting of joint parliamentary committees to discuss the draft-laws, saying such a move would be a “dangerous precedent” in the absence of the opposition.

They decided to form a committee to meet with Berri and discuss with him ways to resolve the crisis.

But the speaker told al-Joumhouria newspaper on Monday that no request has been made to discuss with him the matter.

“When they do so, I will discuss with them the content of the statement they issued,” Berri said.