Berri Holding Final Round of Talks over Vote Law ahead of Parliamentary Term Extension

Speaker Nabih Berri is holding consultations with political foes away from media spotlight as a last attempt for reaching common ground over a new electoral law before resorting to the extension of the parliament's mandate.

A proposal made by Zahle MP Nicolas Fattoush to extend the mandate of the parliament by two years was sent to lawmakers later on Wednesday to study it.

Information obtained by the daily said that the proposal is being studied by Berri, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat and the rival parties.

Discussion are focusing on the possibility of extending the term of the parliament by six months or two years, the daily said.

On Sunday, MP Fattoush revealed that he has submitted a proposal on a two-year extension of parliament's mandate without coordinating with any side.

President Michel Suleiman has rejected a long extension of the legislature's four-year mandate, which expires on June 20.

Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan, who is loyal to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, told An Nahar newspaper that the suspicious agreement between the PSP, the Lebanese Forces and al-Mustaqbal is responsible for any extension proposal.

For his part, National Struggle Front MP Akram Shehayeb, who is loyal to Jumblat, expressed support to extending the term of the parliament by two years.

“Whoever has another solution should propose it... The priority is to decrease the tension in the country,” he told An Nahar newspaper.

A parliament session was set to convene on May 15 in order to vote on the proposal, but the meeting was never held due to a lack of quorum.

In its eighth round of talks, the parliamentary electoral subcommittee failed again on Monday to reach an agreement over a new electoral law as Speaker Nabih Berri did not set a date for a new session.

This failure has raised fears of a political vacuum in Lebanon or that the parliamentary elections will be held according to the 1960 law or that the term of the current parliament will be extended.