Jumblat Hopes for Consensus on Hybrid Vote Law

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat hoped on Monday that the country's major rival parties would agree on a hybrid electoral draft-law to govern the June parliamentary polls.

In remarks to As Safir daily, Jumblat said: “There are consultations in different directions. The opposition al-Mustaqbal bloc is in contact with the Lebanese Forces and I am in contact with Speaker (Nabih) Berri.”

“There is also communication with Hizbullah but we don't have ties with (Free Patriotic Movement leader) Michel Aoun,” said Jumblat, a centrist.

The rival factions have so far failed to agree on an electoral draft-law but al-Mustaqbal and the PSP agreed to propose a hybrid law that was first suggested by Berri.

The consultations of the two parties later expanded to seek the support of the rest of the March 14 opposition alliance members and of the Hizbullah-led March 8 coalition.

Jumblat expected the coming two days to witness new developments on the hybrid draft-law that combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems.

But informed sources told al-Liwaa newspaper that contacts between al-Mustaqbal and the PSP slowed over differences on the district of Baabda.

President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Najib Miqati, Jumblat's PSP, al-Mustaqbal and the March 14 opposition's Christian independent lawmakers have rejected the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal which considers Lebanon a single electoral district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system.

They have warned that if parliament adopts the draft it would harm the social fabric and deepen sectarian divisions.