Geagea Says LF to Withdraw from Subcommittee if No Breakthrough on Vote Law

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea revealed on Monday that his party might not continue attending the electoral subcommittee meetings, which is discussing the controversial vote law, if the rival parties failed to reach common ground.

“We might not attend anymore if things continue as they are... Some sides aren't giving a clear stance and others are maneuvering while the electoral law is going windward,” Geagea said in comments to al-Akhbar newspaper.

An Nahar newspaper reported that the rest of the March 14 coalition members are also considering to halt their participation in the subcommittee if no breakthrough was reached during the session set to be held on Tuesday.

“Hizbullah and its March 8 allies refuse to facilitate the matter,” sources told the daily.

The rival parties failed to agree on a new vote law since the subcommittee was established in October last year.

Its members have until May 15 to agree on a new law before Speaker Nabih Berri calls for a parliamentary session to reach a breakthrough.

The subcommittee agreed to hold the next round of talks on Tuesday, its third meeting since it resumed sessions earlier in the week in a last-ditch effort to agree on an electoral law.

Geagea also tackled the formation of the new cabinet, calling on Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam and President Michel Suleiman to form it according to their “conscience.”

“I fear that the pressure exerted on the PM-designate will make us miss the chance to form a coherent government, effective and clean,” the Christian leader stated.

LF MP George Adwan told the newspaper that this week is “decisive” regarding the subcommittee meetings and the formation of the cabinet.

“We will not leave things continue as they are,” Adwan, who is a member of the electoral subcommittee, told An Nahar.

Over the Syrian cross-border violation, Geagea called on the caretaker cabinet to act responsibly towards the matter and to protect the residents of Hermel and border towns.

“The cabinet should also demand Hizbullah officially to withdraw his fighters from Syrian territories, task the Lebanese army to deploy along the Lebanese-Syrian border and to control it in coordination with the UNIFIL,” the March 14 official said.

The March 14 camp continuously called for the assistance of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon to control the Lebanese-Syrian border in accordance with resolution 1701.

Most shells in the past two years were launched from regime-held areas, but anti-Assad rebels last week claimed firing into Hermel's countryside, threatening further attacks if Hizbullah did not stop fighting the insurgency.

However, recent raids on the northeastern town of Arsal and the northern district of Akkar have been likely carried out by Syrian regime troops.