Electoral Subcommittee Resumes Discussions over Hybrid Electoral Law
The electoral subcommittee resumed on Monday its meetings to discuss the hybrid draft-law that combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems.
MP Robert Ghanem said after the meeting that various lawmakers made suggestions over the distribution of candidates between the two systems.
He revealed that MP Ali Bazzi suggested that fifty percent of MPs be elected through the winner-takes-all system and the rest through proportional representation.
MP Akram Shehayyeb proposed that 70 percent of MPs be elected through the winner-takes-all system and MP Sami Gemayel suggested that 60 percent of MPs be elected through the same system.
These proposals, among others, will be studied in future subcommittee meetings, added Ghanem.
The next meeting will take place on Monday afternoon and another on Tuesday morning.
Speaker Nabih Berri said in comments published in al-Joumhouria newspaper Monday that the mission of the subcommittee will “exclusively” tackle the hybrid draft-law as its agenda was set by the joint parliamentary committees.
“The subcommittee will not discuss any other draft-law,” Berri pointed out, hinting at an initiative proposed by ex-Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
Once he receives the initiative, the speaker will decide whether to refer it to the joint parliamentary committees or the the electoral subcommittee for discussion.
Hariri called for a small-district law for this year’s parliamentary elections and for the establishment of a senate representing all religions and sects as stipulated by the Taef agreement.
Berri voiced hope that the subcommittee would reach an agreement over the electoral law to safeguard the country.
He noted that all the political parties support the adoption of a hybrid electoral law during the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Berri said that the hybrid electoral law is capable of leading to a breakthrough in the nearly six-month-old political crisis.
Last week, the joint parliamentary committees extended the mission of the electoral subcommittee for 15 days.
However, the Free Patriotic Movement stressed that it will suspend its participation in the subcommittee meetings if another extension beyond the 15 days was made.
The subcommittee has discussed several proposals, the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal, a draft-law that divides Lebanon into 50 districts based on a winner-takes-all system, a bill referred to parliament by the government and that calls for 13 districts based on proportionality, in addition to a the hybrid suggestion made lately by Berri.
The majority of the subcommittee's members have supported the Orthodox proposal which calls for a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system.
But al-Mustaqbal bloc, from the opposition, and the Progressive Socialist Party of centrist MP Walid Jumblat have criticized it and stood firm in favor of a winner-takes-all system.
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