Hizbullah Delegation Meets Jumblat, Affirms Keenness to Improve Cooperation

A Hizbullah delegation held talks Tuesday evening with leader of the Progressive Socialist Party MP Walid Jumblat, at the latter's residence in Clemenceau, where talks focused on the electoral law, As Safir daily reported Wednesday.

The meeting was held in the presence of Jumblat's youngest son, Aslan, and PSP officials, said the daily.

The delegation affirmed commitment to maintaining close relations with Jumblat, and the necessity of “activating and continuing communication.”

On the issue of the electoral law, the delegation said that Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah “understands the specificity of Jumblat's position in that regard.”

They said, when Nasrallah spoke about the need to take into consideration the fears of some parties with the regard to proportional representation, he had Jumblat in mind.

In a recent speech for Nasrallah, he said “We support an electoral law fully based on proportional representation and we call for a comprehensive dialogue. We understand the concerns of some parties which must be taken into consideration. We do not back a return to the 1960 electoral law.”

The delegation also stressed the need for agreement and dialogue among Lebanon's different components on an electoral law. "The Lebanese reality prevents approving a law that fails to garner the support of all or majority of political components," it said.

Discussions also focused on developmental and living concerns and the future of the government. They stressed the importance of activating communication between the two parties.

After the meeting, it was reported that Jumblat expressed delight with the messages conveyed to him through Hizbullah secretary-general's political aide Hussein Khalil and Head of Hizbullah's Liaison and Coordination Committee Wafiq Safa, “it can be certain that bilateral relations between the two parties are restored,” added the daily.

PSP sources told As Safir “the delegation has conveyed Nasrallah's keenness to understand Jumblat's concerns.”

On the other hand, Hizbullah sources said the meeting aimed to “improve cooperation and coordination” and stressed that its was “friendly and positive.”

Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law based on proportional representation but other political parties, especially al-Mustaqbal Movement, 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 is influential.

Mustaqbal, the Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party 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.