March 14 Holds Onto Rejection of Proportionality over 'Hegemony of Arms'
The March 14 opposition alliance reiterated its rejection of a system based on proportional representation in the 2013 parliamentary elections over what it called the “hegemony” of Hizbullah's weapons.
“We reject proportionality over the hegemony of arms which cripple this system in areas under (Hizbullah) control and mainly Baalbek-Hermel and the South,” al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Ahmed Fatfat told al-Liwaa newspaper published Monday.
“Under these circumstances, proportionality is not good,” he said in other remarks to Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5).
Fatfat, who is a member of a parliamentary electoral subcommittee that is set to meet on January 8, said the March 14 coalition has a proposal made by the Phalange and Lebanese Forces parties.
The proposal adopts 50 small-sized districts in a winner-takes-all system unlike a government bill that divides Lebanon into 13 districts and is based on proportionality.
The subcommittee, which was formed in October, is tasked with studying the number of lawmakers, the type of the electoral system and the distribution of electoral districts, the MP said.
Recent reports said that the subcommittee’s members could reach an agreement on a draft-law proposed in 2005 by the Butros Committee, which was headed by former Foreign Minister Fouad Butros.
It combines the proportional representation and winner-takes-all systems.
But in his remarks to VDL, Fatfat rejected the proposal given that proportionality would not be fair in the presence of arms.
Sources in the opposition also told An Nahar daily that the Butros Committee's plan requires amendments over the changes in the political situation since 2005.
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