Suleiman Vows to Challenge Any Attempt to Extend Parliament's Mandate

President Michel Suleiman slammed Lebanon's rival parties for failing to agree on a new electoral law, stressing that he would challenge any attempt to extend parliament’s mandate.

In an interview with al-Mustaqbal daily published Friday, Suleiman said: “All the countries surrounding us are suffering from major problems and bloodshed so that the people could have the right to vote.”

“Is it fair for us to do the exact opposite?” he wondered. “Elections renew political life and the citizen feels that his opinion is respected.”

“That's why I will not accept the extension of the parliament's mandate and will hold onto the necessity of holding the polls to have a rotation in power,” Suleiman told the newspaper.

The president stressed that the 1960 law would still be valid if the rival MPs failed to reach consensus on a new vote law.

“If there is a strong will to hold the elections, then they could agree on a new law,” he said.

Suleiman stressed however that “the country can't remain without elections at a time when all the countries around us are carrying out polls.”

The rival MPs failed on Tuesday to reach consensus on a new law. They suspended their meetings as part of a legislative subcommittee over the huge gap between them.

But the lawmakers have until May 15 to reach an agreement through consultations outside parliament before Speaker Nabih Berri calls for a legislative session to vote on the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal.

The plan that calls for each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system is the only proposal that has been approved by the joint parliamentary committees.

But Berri has given the lawmakers more time to agree on an alternative to the 1960 law after al-Mustaqbal bloc, the National Struggle Front and the March 14 alliance's independent MPs rejected the Orthodox proposal.

In his interview with al-Mustaqbal, the president stressed that he agreed with Premier designate-Tammam Salam for the new cabinet to be specialized in supervising the polls.

The government's “life should be short” to supervise the elections, he said.

Suleiman backed Salam's insistence for the cabinet to be made up of members not running in the elections. He also supported the PM-designate's efforts to include the rotation of portfolios in the government make-up.

Sources close to Salam have said that he is seeking to form a 24-member cabinet.