Suleiman Open to Amendments to Govt. Electoral Draft Law

President Michel Suleiman is committed to the government's electoral draft law, reported the daily An Nahar Saturday.

Sources close to the president revealed however that he is open to amendments to it in a hope that it would become accepted by all political powers.

His recent contacts with various forces however did not strictly address this law, but various other proposals.

The government approved in August a parliamentary electoral law based on proportional representation and 13 districts.

It was however rejected by Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat and the March 14 camp, which deemed it as being tailored to the March 8 camp.

Suleiman had attended on Friday a dinner banquet thrown by former MP Nayla Mouawad.

Other guests included Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel, Mustaqbal bloc leader MP Fouad Saniora, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, Transportation and Public Works Minister Ghazi al-Aridi, Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour, MPs Butros Harb and Michel Pharaon, and a number of independent officials.

The dinner was an occasion to address the latest developments and the discussions over the electoral law.

The joint parliamentary committees approved on Tuesday the adoption of the Orthodox Gathering proposal despite a walkout by the lawmakers of al-Mustaqbal bloc, the National Struggle Front and some independent March 14 MPs.

The proposal calls for dividing Lebanon into a single electoral district and allows each sect to vote for its own lawmakers under a proportional representation system.

Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati had also objected to the proposal.