Phalange Party Calls for Parliamentary Meeting to Resolve Dispute over Electoral Law

The Phalange Party stressed on Monday the importance of separating the March 14 opposition's boycott of government-related activities and the discussions over a new parliamentary electoral law.

It called in a statement after its weekly politburo meeting “parliament to convene to end the political deadlock and resolve the dispute over the electoral law.”

The extension of the term of the current parliament beyond its official end date of June 20 is unacceptable, it said.

The opposition announced it boycott of government-related work, including parliamentary meetings, in light of the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan on October 19.

Earlier on Monday however, several opposition lawmakers gave their consent to the activation of a parliamentary subcommittee to discuss an electoral draft-law on condition that no government representative attends the talks.

The subcommittee was established in October to facilitate discussions among the rival March 8 and March 14 camps on the controversial articles of a bill approved by the cabinet in August - the electoral system and the size of the districts.

Addressing the recent unrest in the northern city of Tripoli, the Phalange Party urged the residents of the city and its leaderships to provide “absolute support” to the army and security forces in their mission to halt the violence.

It hoped that the plan devised by the Higher Defense Council to tackle the unrest would help restore calm in Tripoli.

Clashes erupted in the city over a week ago in wake of news of the death of a number of Lebanese fighters, who mainly hail from the North, in the Syrian border town of Tall Kalakh.

The fighters, who were seeking to fight alongside the Syrian opposition, were killed in an ambush by regime forces.

At least 19 people were killed in the latest round of clashes between the rival Tripoli neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh, which opposes the Syrian regime, and Jabal Mohsen that supports it.