Gemayel Proposes New Hybrid Draft-Law at Subcommittee Meeting

Phalange Party MP Sami Gemayel proposed on Wednesday a hybrid electoral draft-law which divides Lebanon to nine districts based on proportional representation and 36 others based on winner-takes-all system.

Gemayel told reporters after the first round of discussions at the electoral subcommittee that his proposal sets the number of parliamentary seats at 134 and not 128, whereby seats would be equally divided between the March 8 and 14 coalitions.

He warned that if rivals failed to reach an agreement “it will be an open political battle” in the country.

The subcommittee's chairman, MP Robert Ghanem, said that the nine members of the subcommittee have agreed on the main principles that would help evaluate all the suggested electoral draft-laws.

“We aim at rectifying the Christians' representation and achieve a political balance in the country,” Ghanem said.

The MP pointed out that the members “will continue to exert efforts to reach consensus over a suitable electoral law.”

He hailed the attendees, saying they “are keen to prioritizing the country's best interests.”

Ghanem told reporters that the subcommittee “might reach in the upcoming two days common ground that unites the rival coalitions.”

According to Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) MP Ghanem telephoned Speaker Nabih Berri to ask him about his stance from the hybrid law that calls for 50% of the seats be based on the majority system and the other half on the proportional system.

Later, Berri told lawmakers during Wednesday's weekly meeting that he is exerting efforts to press forward the electoral subcommittee to agree on an electoral draft-law.

Al-Mustaqbal MP Ahmed Fatfat proposed on Tuesday a hybrid draft-law whereby 70 percent of MPs would be elected under the winner-takes-all system and the rest under the proportional representation system out of its keenness on holding the elections on time.

The hybrid proposal was first made by MP Ali Bazzi from Speaker Nabih Berri's parliamentary Liberation and Development bloc to appease Lebanon's different factions that were divided between those supporting the winner-takes-all and proportionality systems.

For his part, Lebanese Forces lawmaker George Adwan said Wednesday that the members agreed on a mechanism to compare the suggested proposals.

He revealed that the subcommittee “will refer to the joint parliamentary committees several draft-laws with its recommendations” if it failed to reach a breakthrough by Friday.

A suggestion made on Monday by the Progressive Socialist Party representative, MP Akram Shehayyeb was rejected by the nine-member subcommittee for failing to comply with the five standards of the hybrid draft-law.

The standards include the fair representation of Christians and Muslims, a balance between the March 8 and 14 alliances, the adoption of minimum 26 districts in the winner-takes-all system and 5-10 districts in the proportional system.

Shehayyeb reportedly proposed 64 percent of the seats be based on a majority system.

While Bazzi suggested an equal distribution of seats between the proportional and winner-takes-all systems.