Report: Political Parties Agree Comprehensive Bargain

A deal that will “bring back” the Cabinet, stop Judge Tarek Bitar from interrogating MPs and repeal the electoral law’s amendments has been concluded between Hizbullah, President Michel Aoun’s camp and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, MTV reported on Monday.

The settlement, mediated by Hizbullah, entails the Constitutional Council’s approval of the appeal against the electoral law’s amendments, the TV channel said, which would limit expat voting to only six newly-introduced seats instead of voting for all Parliament members.

“Prime Minister Najib Miqati will then call for a Cabinet session that will discuss assigning a new president to the Higher Judicial Council, a new public prosecutor, a new financial prosecutor and a new judicial inspection chief.”

“Parliament will be responsible for the lawmakers’ interrogation, instead of Bitar,” MTV said.

The TV network however noted that the deal might lead to the full cancellation of expat voting or the postponement of the elections seeing as the remaining time is not sufficient for issuing executive decrees.