Change and Reform: We Reject Any Procrastination Aimed at Keeping 1960 Law, Extension
The Change and Reform parliamentary bloc announced Thursday that it rejects “any procrastination” aimed at keeping the 1960 electoral law or seeking another extension of the parliament's term.
“The time for theoretical debate has ended and the time now is for declaring clear stances on the proposed formats that all parties have become familiar with,” said the bloc in a statement issued after its weekly meeting in Rabieh.
“Seriousness requires clear stances, not further procrastination and extension of the fait accompli situation,” Change and Reform added.
Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq had recently warned that there is not much time left to pass a new electoral law while announcing that the ministry is ready to organize the polls under the 1960 law.
Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but other political parties, especially al-Mustaqbal Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party, have rejected the proposal and argued that the party's controversial arsenal of arms would prevent serious competition in regions where the Iran-backed party has clout.
Mustaqbal, the Lebanese Forces and the PSP have meanwhile proposed a hybrid electoral law that mixes the proportional representation and the winner-takes-all systems. Speaker Nabih Berri has also proposed a hybrid law.
The country has not voted for a parliament since 2009, with the legislature instead twice extending its own mandate.
The 2009 polls were held under an amended version of the 1960 electoral law and the next elections are scheduled for May 2017.
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