Fate of May 15 Parliamentary Session Unknown as Several Bloc Threaten to Boycott

The parliamentary session set to be held on May 15 is expected to deepen the rift between the parties if lawmakers were called to vote on the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal.

An Nahar newspaper reported on Thursday that al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat's National Struggle Front, the March 14 Independent Christian MPs and Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati would boycott the session if it aimed at voting on the proposal.

The head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc, Fouad Saniora, said in comments to al-Liwaa newspaper that the bloc's MPs will swiftly withdraw from the session if the Orthodox draft-law was put up for a vote.

The newspaper also reported that the Baath and the National Struggle Front bloc's MPs will not vote in favor of the proposal.

For his part, Miqati told An Nahar daily that he will not attend any parliamentary session that includes voting on the Orthodox proposal, considering it as “unconstitutional.”

He pointed out that caretaker Youth and Sports Minister Ahmed Karami supports his stance.

On Wednesday, Speaker Nabih Berri called for a parliamentary session on May 15 to tackle the endorsement of the new electoral law that has deepened the gap between the Lebanese foes.

He reiterated that he would call for a vote on the Orthodox proposal during the session as it is the only plan that was approved by the joint parliamentary committees unless an agreement is reached on an alternative plan before that date.

However, according to media reports published on Thursday, President Michel Suleiman, who also rejects the adoption of the proposal, is expected to challenge it, which will bring the country back to the 1960 law that was used in the 2009 polls.

That law considers the qada an electoral district and is based on the winner-takes-all system. But most parties have rejected it despite their failure to reach consensus on a new plan.

The rival parties have so far failed to agree on an electoral draft-law threatening the postponement of the polls.