Geagea Says 1960 Law Harms Coexistence, Leads to 'Bigger Chaos'
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Friday rejected a return to the 1960 electoral law, urging Speaker Nabih Berri to hold a parliamentary session aimed at voting on a new law.
“Holding a cabinet session to form the electoral supervisory commission and take the necessary measures to hold the polls under the 1960 law is against the National Pact and thus illegitimate despite being legal,” Geagea said in a press release.
The caretaker cabinet will convene on Monday at the Baabda Palace to discuss the formation of the electoral supervisory commission and the electoral expenses, state-run National News Agency reported.
“The majority of Lebanese parties had rejected holding this electoral juncture under the 1960 law,” Geagea added.
“Instead of holding a cabinet session and reviving the 1960 law, the parliament must convene immediately to vote on a new electoral law, as holding the elections under the 1960 law would undermine the coexistence pact and drag the country into bigger chaos,” Geagea warned.
He categorically rejected “putting some factional interests ahead of the agreement reached over the past few months, especially in the Bkirki meetings, on refusing any return to the 1960 law and seeking a new electoral law.”
“Anyone who takes part in preparing for elections under the 1960 law would be contributing to imposing this law and preventing the adoption of any new law that ensures real representation for all Lebanese components,” Geagea added.
Several officials submitted on Friday their candidacies to the upcoming parliamentary polls, including the FPM, the LF, the AMAL movement and the March 14 Independent MPs to avoid uncontested victories despite strong objections over the adoption of the 1960 electoral law.
The parliamentary electoral subcommittee failed on Monday to reach an agreement over a new electoral law and Speaker Nabih Berri did not set a date for a new session.
Failure to reach consensus over an electoral law has raised fears of a political vacuum in Lebanon. In absence of consensus, the other two alternatives are holding the polls according to the 1960 law or extending the term of the current parliament.
Last week, al-Mustaqbal bloc, the Lebanese Forces, MP Walid Jumblat’s National Struggle Front and March 14 alliance's independent lawmakers proposed a hybrid draft-law, which calls for 46 percent of MPs to be elected based on proportional representation and 54 percent under the winner-takes-all system.
Under the same proposal, Lebanon would be divided into 26 districts and six governorates.
But the members of the subcommittee that are part of the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance expressed reservations on it along with March 14's Phalange Party.
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