Berri Says No Doubt 1960 Electoral Law to Govern Parliamentary Polls
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Speaker Nabih Berri stressed that the upcoming parliamentary elections will be held on time based on the 1960 law because “time is short” for political parties to approve a new law to govern the elections, al-Akhbar daily reported Monday.
“The elections will be staged based on the 1960 law. Political parties do not have any time left to approve any other law,” Berri told his visitors.
Stressing the need to implement the constitution, he said: “The required election law is not an issue of a majority supporting one suggestion over another, it is a matter linked to the necessity to apply the constitution.
“The constitution is very clear. There must be a Senate and a parliament based on national rather than sectarian basis. So let them implement the constitution, no more no less.”
On the proposals to hold the elections based on a hybrid law, Berri said the discussions have stopped on this matter, and that the efforts seem to be exerted on endorsing the 1960 law.
The Speaker concluded and assured that the parliament's term will not be extended, he said: “Extending the parliament's teem again will not happen, not even for one day. Let them all know that.”
The political parties are bickering over amending the current election law which divides seats among the different religious sects.
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.
16 January 2017, 09:20
02
The ruling mafia knows this is the best election law it can possibly have. With minor modifications and concessions by mostaqbal to the fpm in beirut, akar and koura, the 1960 election formula would all of a sudden become the best thing since sliced bread.
16 January 2017, 16:11
02
Berri doing what he does best, stall and stall until he gets what he wants. Dude's got at least a baker's dozen electoral law in his drawer including one his party submitted and one his MPs approved when they were part of the one color Mikati cabinet. Put them all up for consideration to the full Parliament let the legislators do what it's supposed to do, deliberate, debate argue about them they vote on something. It seems that all our Parliament does is pass pre-approved laws
