Berri Says Parliament Can Extend its Mandate but Calls for Speedy Adoption of Electoral Law

Speaker Nabih Berri said Wednesday that parliament is an authority by itself and can decide on the extension of its term if the need arises the same way the president has the right to use his authorities.

Berri made the remark to As Safir newspaper, a day after President Michel Suleiman said he would not sign any decree that calls for the extension of parliament's mandate unless a new draft-law is being prepared.

“I will not accept any misused extension of parliament's mandate and won't sign any decree in that regard,” Suleiman told a delegation from the Press Club on Tuesday.

The 2013 parliamentary elections will be held on time, he said, adding they could be postponed for a short period that does not exceed the two or three months for technical reasons only.

But Berri said it was the parliament's role to decide whether to extend its mandate or not.

“Rather than discussing such possibilities, we should exert all efforts to hold the elections on time based on a new law that is acceptable by all the Lebanese,” the Speaker told As Safir.

He warned however that lawmakers would face a difficulty in approving a new law if they don't speed up discussions on a draft before the end of the year.

The government approved last August an electoral draft-law that is based on proportional representation and divides Lebanon into 13 districts. But the bill faced the objection of several parliamentary blocs when it reached the legislature.