Death Threats Put Fate of Electoral Subcommittee in Limbo

Opposition MPs from the March 14 alliance denied on Friday that a meeting they held with Speaker Nabih Berri ended in failure, saying they discussed with him the best possible way to reactivate parliamentary a subcommittee without putting their lives at stake.

MP Marwan Hamadeh, who was part of a four-member delegation that met with Berri in Ain el-Tineh on Thursday, told al-Liwaa daily that “discussions haven't reached a dead-end.”

He revealed that the speaker suggested to hold the first meeting at parliament and later in other locations.

But the March 14 lawmakers informed him that the meetings would end up in failure over the rejection of parliamentary blocs from the March 8 majority to attend the talks at the houses of opposition MPs who have received death threats and limited their movements.

The committee, which is headed by Deputy Speaker Farid Makari, includes opposition lawmakers Sami Gemayel, George Adwan, Ahmed Fatfat and Serge Torsarkissian.

Its members from the March 8 majority coalition are MPs Alain Aoun, Ali Bazzi, Ali Fayyad, Hagop Pakradounian in addition to lawmaker Akram Shehayyeb, who belongs to the National Struggle Front of centrist lawmaker Walid Jumblat.

MP Samir al-Jisr, who attended the talks with Berri on Thursday, told As Safir newspaper that the speaker is keen on the safety of the March 14 lawmakers.

Al-Jisr also told Voice of Lebanon radio that accusations that the opposition is trying to buy time under the excuse of security threats are not true.

Opposition lawmaker, Elie Marouni, said that the delegation will hold another meeting with the speaker next week to discuss with him the latest developments on the issue.

Their talks with Berri came after the opposition's parliamentary committee heads, rapporteurs and members of parliament's bureau said they were willing to attend the meeting of the subcommittee to agree on a new electoral draft-law but stuck onto their demand for the nonattendance of government representatives.

The statement of the opposition MPs held onto the boycott of Prime Minister Najib Miqati's government and called for the formation of a new cabinet.

But sources close to Berri told An Nahar newspaper that Thursday’s talks between the opposition and the speaker did not make major progress after what March 14 parliamentary sources said the conferees threw the ball in Berri's court.

“We want the subcommittee to reconvene but so far the location is the obstacle,” the sources said.

“We can't go to the offices of March 8 MPs for the meeting but would they come to our offices? We are looking for an answer to this question,” they told As Safir.