Report: Lebanese Forces Say Nasrallah's Electoral Law Stance 'Contributes to Solution'
The Lebanese Forces hailed Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's position after he back-pedaled from adherence to a proportional representation system which the LF described as a “positive” step, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.
“Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah reconsidered his adherence to full proportional representation system which paves way for an agreement on a new electoral law,” LF sources told the daily on condition of anonymity.
“One of the major obstacles that existed previously was adherence of the Shiite parties (Hizbullah and AMAL) to the proportionality system which was preventing the possibility of compatibility on a law,” they added.
In his speech on Tuesday, Nasrallah stressed that his party is not seeking to “impose” the proportional representation electoral system on the country, while warning that Lebanon is “on the brink of the abyss” regarding the issue of the electoral law.
“We see a positive element in his position that allows us to return to the hybrid project, which until today is an understanding between most of the political forces, especially MP Walid Jumblat, al-Mustaqbal Movement and other forces. We believe that this position (Nasrallah's) will contribute to the solution."
The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and the legislature has instead twice extended its own mandate. The last polls were held under an amended version of the 1960 electoral law.
Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on the proportional representation system and a single or several large electorates.
Druze leader Jumblat has rejected proportional representation, warning that it would "marginalize" his minority Druze community, whose presence is concentrated in the Aley and Chouf areas.
Amid reservations over proportional representation by other parties such as al-Mustaqbal Movement and the Lebanese Forces, the political parties have mulled a so-called hybrid electoral law that mixes proportional representation with the winner-takes-all system.
Other law formats were suggested by political parties including a so-called qualification system which many parties rejected and dubbed as “sectarian.”
Source: Naharnet
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