Joint Parliamentary Committees Fail to Reach Agreement on Electoral Law

The joint parliamentary committees convened at parliament on Tuesday in order to continue discussions on the parliamentary electoral law amid ongoing divisions between the various parties.

The meeting ended without any agreement and a new session will be held on Thursday morning.

Deputy Speaker Farid Makari noted after the session that “great differences in opinion” emerged during the meeting.

He stated that all sides however were in agreement that they needed to have consensus on a new electoral law and all aspects linked to it.

Mustaqbal MP Ahmed Fatfat noted after the meeting: “We cannot accept proportional representation in the presence of an armed party existing outside the authority of the state.”

“We support any proposal that bolsters Christian representation, but we cannot accept the Orthodox Gathering proposal because it contradicts the constitution,” he said.

This position was criticized by Change and Reform MP Ibrahim Kanaan who wondered: “How can the Orthodox Gathering proposal be unconstitutional?”

“We should either amend the constitution or accept the reality in Lebanon as it is,” he suggested.

“The Orthodox Gathering proposal is the best draft law because it grants fair representation for all sides,” he noted.

“Those speaking of the threat of arms should ask how the weapons and buying of votes would impact any electoral law that is adopted,” continued the lawmaker before reporters.

“Reform is needed to resolve the issue of the arms and buying of votes. This does not mean that people should be wronged until this reform is achieved,” he stressed.

Earlier, Lebanese Forces MP Georges Adwan stressed from parliament that an “electoral law concerns all the Lebanese people.”

“We sought through our proposed law to achieve fair representation and we are open to discussion over various suggestions. The law should not only focus on Christian interests,” he declared before reporters.

“We will not close the door before anything but the 1960 electoral law,” he added while emphasizing the importance of respecting the Taef accord.

Opposition MPs Adwan, Sami Gemayel and Butros Harb proposed last week an electoral law based on 50 small-sized districts in a winner-takes-all system, while a plan suggested by MP Michel Aoun’s Change and Reform bloc would allow every sect to elect its own MPs under a proportional representation system with Lebanon as a single district.

FPM MP Nehmetallah Abi Nasr later said from parliament: “Each sect should elect a candidate from its own sect through an electoral law based on proportional representation otherwise we should eliminate sectarianism at parliament, but it seems the people are not ready for this yet.

Abi Nasr stated: “We want real equality.”

Phalange MP Sami Gemayel remarked at the end of the joint parliamentary committees session: “This is the first time that MPs are discussing an electoral law among themselves away from foreign meddling.”

He added: “Parliament is facing a challenge in that it should either adopt a law that achieves equality among all the powers or not.”

The government approved in August a parliamentary electoral law based on proportional representation and 13 electoral districts.