Berri Urges Cabinet to Draft Proportional Elections Law
Speaker Nabih Berri said that the cabinet led by PM Najib Miqati is promising. He stressed the importance of exerting efforts to intensify the government’s weekly meetings so that citizens would feel the difference.
As Safir newspaper reported on Tuesday that Berri suggested that the cabinet should hold a special session to highlight the basis and the principles that Interior Minister Marwan Charbel should follow while drafting the elections law.
“The cabinet has to decide whether to follow the proportional principle or not… and resolve the women quota in the cabinet … All this facilitates the task of the interior minister,” Berri said.
He remarked that “with every elections year we wait till the last minute to draft the law under pressure… We should learn from the past.”
The speaker stressed that he supports adopting the law of proportionality that is based on considering Lebanon as one electoral district.
“This formula forces the candidates to moderate their speeches,” Berri said.
Concerning the consequences that this law might have on his interests, the daily quoted him as saying: “I’ll be able to compensate in other places, the important thing is that Lebanon wins at the end.”
The newspaper reported that the demarcation of the maritime borders is a priority for Berri.
He noted that he will continue to seriously follow-up this issue.
“The enemy doesn’t recognize the International Court of Justice and didn’t join it,” so heading to file a complaint in it will not benefit Lebanon.
However, “we are heading towards a diplomatic battle at the United Nations,” Berri said.
He urged the new majority to get used to the fact that it became in the government and not in the opposition anymore.
“Some members in the cabinet still need time to adapt with the new situation,” the Speaker said.
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