Druze Leader Heir Will Run in Parliamentary Elections

Taymour Jumblat, the son of influential Druze leader and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat said he will run for Lebanon's upcoming parliamentary elections to prove “that the Druze community will stay and no electoral law is able to marginalize it,” the pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat reported Saturday.

Taymour said he will lead a list of political mavens and old friends of his father in addition to candidates new on the political arena, added the daily.

“It is certain. I will run for the parliamentary polls. It's an important moment for me to prove myself. I will form a list that includes partisan comrades and former allies in addition to new faces known for their efficiency and well-representation ability,” said Taymour in an interview to the daily.

Referring to a statement he made earlier challenging parties who allegedly plan to marginalize the Druze community through an electoral law format that allegedly diminishes their representation , he said: “Many are attacking us...I wanted to convey a simple message saying that with or without elections and whatever law format is adopted, whether a majoritarian, proportional or hybrid law, we will stay here and no one is able to marginalize us.”

Political parties are bickering over amending the current majoritarian 1960 election law which divides seats among the different religious sects.

While al-Mustaqbal Movement 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, 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.