Saniora Reveals 'Great Progress' toward Agreeing on Hybrid Law, Adwan Says Nominations to be Suspended

Former premier Fouad Saniora, head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc, on Sunday announced that “major progress” has been made toward agreeing on a hybrid electoral law among the various parties, on the eve of a key parliamentary session.

“We have made great progress in expressing the desire we are insisting on, which is holding the elections, and we hope we will reach a hybrid law that mixes the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems,” Saniora said after talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in Bkirki, which was also attended by Lebanese Forces bloc MP George Adwan.

“Things cannot take any further postponement and the Lebanese have no interest in extending the crisis,” Saniora added.

For his part, Adwan told MTV from Bkirki that “there will definitely be a new hybrid electoral law."

"We have started a very rapid countdown because we don't want to waste the chances and there is a plenary session on Tuesday aimed at suspending candidacy requests filed according to the 1960 law, and starting Tuesday we will launch contacts with all parties," Adwan added.

"We share almost identical viewpoints with al-Mustaqbal and other parties must meet us halfway like al-Mustaqbal did," said Adwan.

Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Farid Makari voiced a different point of view.

“Extending the deadline for submitting candidacy requests is a positive thing, but suspending the requests is impermissible as that will indicate that elections won't happen,” Makari told MTV.

“I don't think that the Orthodox Gathering electoral law will be raised during the meeting of parliament's bureau” on Monday, he added.