Suleiman Seeks Extraordinary Parliamentary Session to Agree on New Vote Law

by Naharnet Newsdesk 02 June 2013, 07:45

President Michel Suleiman is seeking to call for an extraordinary parliamentary session to allow the legislature to extend its term for only two months during which it would agree on a new electoral law, former Minister Khalil Hrawi said.

Hrawi made his announcement to An Nahar daily published Sunday. The ex-minister had been tasked by Suleiman to brief Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on his latest decision to challenge a law to extend parliament's term for 17 months.

Parliament convenes twice a year in two ordinary sessions -- the first starts mid-march until the end of May and the second from the middle of October through the end of December.

The parliament extended its tenure during a session it held on May 31 – the last day of its ordinary session - after the failure of the rival parties to agree on a new vote law. The extension law was published in the official Gazette on Saturday.

Article 33 of the constitution states that the president in agreement with the prime minister may summon the parliament to extraordinary sessions by a decree that specifies the dates of the opening and closing of the sessions as well as the agenda.

Extraordinary sessions can also be held at the request of "an absolute majority" of the parliament.

Suleiman hoped in a tweet on Sunday that the Constitutional Council would follow the lead of Egypt's highest court.

The Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) invalidated Egypt's Islamist-dominated Senate and a panel that drafted the country's constitution.

Suleiman also hoped on Saturday that his challenge to the Constitutional Council would let the parliament reconsider the extension and allow elections be held sooner.

Hrawi told An Nahar that the president is hoping the Council would approve his challenge, which would allow him to call for an extraordinary session to extend parliament's term for two months to agree on a law that would govern the elections.

But if the MPs failed again to reach consensus on a new law then the polls would be held based on the 1960 law that was used in the 2009 polls, Hrawi said.