Aoun Suggests Proportional Representation Law Based on 15 Districts, Says Most Parties Back It
Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday suggested devising a law for parliamentary elections that would be based on proportional representation and 15 electoral districts, noting that most parties who took part in Tuesday's dialogue session supported his proposal.
"During today's dialogue session, all parties spoke of the next president's characteristics and some talked in general about the people's problems,” said Aoun after the bloc's weekly meeting in Rabieh.
“I said that there is an accumulation of crises, especially in the country's political life. It resulted from the extension of the parliament's term due to the absence of an electoral law, the thing that aggravated the problems,” he added.
Aoun stressed that “there is no law that stipulates electing a president before electing a parliament.”
“Who said that the president must be elected before the parliament? Let us return to the people, the source of authorities, and devise an electoral law based on proportional representation and 15 electoral districts,” he added.
Noting that the 15-district proposal had been endorsed by Maronite political leaders during a summit in Bkirki, Aoun pointed out that the “vast majority” of dialogue parties described it as the “only solution” -- except for al-Mustaqbal bloc chief MP Fouad Saniora.
The last legislative elections were held in 2009, and parliament has twice extended its own mandate, citing internal political divisions and regional instability as justification.
The country has been without a president for more than a year, as a divided parliament has been unable to fill the post despite meeting more than 20 times.
Aoun, one of the main presidential candidates, had suggested electing a president by a popular vote. His statements on Tuesday, however, indicate that he has backpedaled on the controversial proposal.
Y.R.
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