Optimism on Revival of Parliamentary Electoral Subcommittee in Coming Weeks
Speaker Nabih Berri expressed hope on Thursday that a parliamentary subcommittee on the electoral draft-law would resume its meeting by the year's end.
In remarks to An Nahar daily, Berri said he was in continuous contact with the March 14 opposition alliance to pave way for the revival of the subcommittee before the New Year.
Berri has suggested that opposition lawmakers, many of whom have received death threats, stay at a hotel near parliament to attend the meetings of the subcommittee in the legislature after they said they were fearing for their lives.
An Nahar daily quoted March 14 sources as saying that opposition blocs were studying the proposal. But denied reaching an agreement as some officials had stated.
They too expressed hope that the meetings would resume soon, expecting the subcommittee to convene immediately after the New Year.
The sources reiterated that their boycott of parliamentary meetings attended by government members was “the result of the initial problem of the hegemony of arms (of Hizbullah) and the government's inability to protect its citizens and opposition officials.”
Lebanon plunged in a political crisis following the Oct. 19 assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau chief Wissam al-Hasan when March 14 boycotted the government and all parliamentary activity linked to it.
It rejected to attend the national dialogue sessions at Baabda palace by sitting at the same table with Hizbullah and called for the cabinet's resignation, saying only a salvation government could oversee the 2013 parliamentary polls.
However, the alliance's MPs later announced that they were willing to attend the meetings of the subcommittee.
The opposition sources told An Nahar that Berri's suggestion that the lawmakers reside at a hotel was “a recognition by the head of the legislative branch of the seriousness of the threats against the opposition alliance's leaders and members.”
Despite the optimism expressed by Berri and the March 14 sources, it was not yet clear if the opposition MPs would accept the offer to hold the meetings in parliament.
An Nahar quoted al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Ahmed Fatfat as saying that the lawmakers were willing to stay at the hotel but insisted on meeting there too.
However, sources from the March 8 coalition snapped back by telling the newspaper that the subcommittee would only convene in parliament.
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