Charbel Says to Open Door for Parliamentary Candidates on Monday

Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel revealed on Saturday that candidacies for the parliamentary elections can be submitted starting Monday as he is holding on the role undertaken by his ministry to implement the law and play its role.

“If (lawmakers) failed to reach common ground on a new electoral law we will adopt a modified version of the 1960 electoral law,” Charbel said in comments to Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5).

He slammed discussions in the electoral subcommittee over the possibility of extending the mandate of the current parliament, describing such an endeavor as “wrong.”

Consultations are ongoing among the Lebanese foes to reach an agreement on a new electoral law that would govern the upcoming parliamentary elections despite media reports saying that the foes are already discussing the possibility of extending the parliament's tenure.

The parliament's electoral subcommittee has been holding consecutive meetings since Wednesday under the auspices of Speaker Nabih Berri in an attempt to reach consensus over the matter.

An amended version of the 1960 law was adopted in the 2009 parliamentary elections, but the majority of the political blocs are refusing to adopt it for this year's polls.

The Orthodox Gathering law has meanwhile been rejected by President Michel Suleiman, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati, the Mustaqbal bloc, MP Walid Jumblat's National Struggle Front, and independent Christian March 14 MPs.

The Orthodox draft law, which considers Lebanon a single electoral district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system, is strongly backed by Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement.