Parliamentary Subcommittee to Resume Discussions on Hybrid Electoral System

The joint parliamentary committees have extended the mission of an electoral subcommittee for 15 days to discuss starting Monday a hybrid draft-law that combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems, MP Robert Ghanem said.

Ghanem's announcement came following a two-hour meeting that the joint committees held on Wednesday under Speaker Nabih Berri and in the absence of al-Mustaqbal movement, which has boycotted all government-related activity.

Ghanem, who is the chairman of the subcommitee, said Berri has invited the members of the joint committees to attend open-ended meetings starting February 18 to discuss electoral draft-laws.

“I hope that along with Berri we could agree on a law that satisfies all the Lebanese,” he said.

Berri called for the joint committees meeting on Wednesday when it became clear that the subcommittee's 9 members from rival blocs had made little progress toward consensus on an electoral draft-law.

They had discussed several proposals, the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal, a draft-law that divides Lebanon into 50 districts based on a winner-takes-all system, a bill referred to parliament by the government and that calls for 13 districts based on proportionality, in addition to a hybrid suggestion made lately by Berri that combines the winner-takes-all and propositional representation systems.

The majority of the subcommittee's members have supported the Orthodox proposal which calls for a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system.

But al-Mustaqbal bloc from the opposition and the Progressive Socialist Party of centrist MP Walid Jumblat have criticized it and stood firm in favor of a winner-takes-all system.

Phalange MP Sami Gemayel announced following the joint committees meeting that the March 8 majority alliance lawmakers continue to hold onto proportionality while the March 14 opposition coalition wants the winner-takes-all system.

“That's why we suggest small districts and the adoption of a hybrid system,” Gemayel, whose party is a member of March 14, told reporters.

His rival from the Change and Reform bloc of the March 8 coalition, MP Alain Aoun, said: “Contrary to claims, we are flexible in our approach over electoral draft-law discussions.”

“We are searching for a law that guarantees fair representation and we will therefore openly approach all discussions,” he said.

Aoun stressed however he will suspend his participation in the subcommittee meetings if another extension beyond the 15 days was made.

Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan, another opposition member of the subcommittee, confirmed that the Orthodox Gathering proposal still enjoys the greatest consensus among the MPs.

He said the joint committees would continue to hold meetings until they adopt a draft-law that garners the majority's support if the subcommittee failed to achieve consensus on the hybrid system.