Naharnet

Hizbullah and Mustaqbal Urge Electoral Law 'within Constitutional Timeframe'

Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal Movement stressed during their 40th bilateral dialogue session on Monday “the importance of devising an electoral law within the constitutional timeframe.”

The conferees also called for “holding the elections on time” while emphasizing the need to “preserve security and political stability.”

While Mustaqbal has rejected that the electoral law be fully based on proportional representation, arguing that Hizbullah's arms would prevent serious competition in the party's strongholds, Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat has totally rejected proportional representation, even within a hybrid law, warning that it would “marginalize” the minority Druze community.

Hizbullah, Mustaqbal, the Free Patriotic Movement, AMAL Movement and the Lebanese Forces are meanwhile discussing several formats of a so-called hybrid electoral law that mixes proportional representation with the winner-takes-all system.

The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and the legislature has instead twice extended its own mandate.

The last polls were held under an amended version of the 1960 electoral law and the next vote is scheduled for May.


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