Qabbani Hopes for Adoption of Electoral Law that Offers Fair Representation

Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani hoped on Saturday that officials would succeed in reaching an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law.

He said: “We hope that they agree on a law that meets the people's aspirations and offers real representation at parliament.”

“That way the people's national concerns could be tackled at parliament, not the streets,” he added.

He made his remarks after holding separate telephone calls with the Vice President of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan and Druze spiritual leader Shiekh Naim Hassan.

Qabbani's talks with the two clerics also addressed efforts to ease tensions given the heated political rhetoric in Lebanon over the discussions on the electoral law.

A parliamentary electoral subcommittee held talks throughout the week over various electoral draft-laws.

Three proposals were addressed, including the Orthodox Gathering proposal which has won support by four rival Christian parties – the Free Patriotic Movement, the Lebanese Forces, the Phalange Party and the Marada movement.

The proposal calls for adopting Lebanon as a single district based on proportional representation with each sect electing its own MPs. The other suggestions include a March 14 draft-law that calls for dividing Lebanon into 50 districts based on a winner-takes-all system and a government bill referred to parliament which projects Lebanon as 13 districts in a proportional representation system.

The political differences between members of the opposition and the March 8 parliamentary majority alliance have led to the failure of the two sides since Tuesday to agree on a draft-law that best guarantees the representation of the Lebanese in this year's elections.

March 14 Christian politicians, al-Mustaqbal, and MP Walid Jumblat’s National Struggle Front have criticized the Orthodox Gathering for allegedly deepening sectarian divisions.