Cabinet to Hold Stormy Session on Formation of Authority Overseeing Elections
The cabinet on Wednesday is expected to witness a heated debate over a proposal by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel to begin the formation of an independent authority overseeing the elections, local newspapers reported.
According to As Safir newspaper published on Monday, the March 8 alliance completely rejects holding the upcoming parliamentary elections based on the 1960 winner-takes-all system, which indicates that sharp differences over the matter will loom during the session at the Baabda Palace.
The daily reported that President Michel Suleiman considers that his constitutional responsibilities force him to press for the formation of the authority so that the state would be ready to carry out the elections on time.
Article 11 of the 1960 law states that the independent authority overseeing the elections should be established based on a cabinet decision.
However, deep rift between the March 8 and 14 alliances surfaced over the electoral system that would be adopted during the upcoming polls.
The rivals are seeking to reach consensus over an electoral draft-law as the majority coalition rejects holding elections based on a winner-takes-all system, while al-Mustaqbal, a key party in the opposition, rejects adopting proportional representation during the polls.
A ministerial source pointed out that the government postponed tackling the issue during last week's session as it was proposed shortly ahead of the session.
Charbel said on Monday during a press conference that the formation of the authority is crucial no matter what electoral system the rival parties decided to adopt.
“The formation of an independent authority overseeing the elections is compelling and doesn't have to be based on a certain electoral law,” he told reporters.
Speaker Nabih Berri recently lashed out at Charbel, stressing that elections will not be held based on the 1960 law.
The minister continuously reiterated that he was preparing for the polls based on the 1960 law, saying the non-implementation of a certain article does not prevent the elections from taking place.
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