Suleiman Calls on Officials to Rise above Personal Interests over Electoral Law

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Monday on the importance of ending all the political statements over the electoral law that will be adopted during the upcoming parliamentary elections urging officials to prioritize the country's best interest.

“Officials should halt the rhetoric over the matter and discuss it away from any personal interest,” Suleiman said.

He pointed out that the electoral subcommittee should base their discussion on the electoral draft-law proposed by the government and modify it to reach common ground between the rival political March 14 and 8 alliances.

The electoral subcommittee resumed on Monday its meetings to discuss the hybrid draft-law that combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems.

The subcommittee has 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 the hybrid suggestion made lately by Speaker Nabih Berri.

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.