Hopes for consensus between rival lawmakers on an electoral law were shattered on Tuesday after lawmakers from several blocs withdrew from the meeting of the joint parliamentary committees in protest at the adoption of the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal.

“We proposed today a 48-hour postponement of discussions” on article 2 of the proposal “to pave way for the success of deliberations held outside the parliament,” al-Mustaqbal MP Ahmed Fatfat told reporters after pulling out of the meeting.

The joint parliamentary committees voted on Monday on the first article of the Orthodox Gathering's draft electoral law, increasing the number of MPs to 134, MTV reported.

LBCI said the session has been adjourned to Tuesday morning.

Speaker Nabih Berri discussed with Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Sunday the controversial electoral draft-law a day before the joint parliamentary committees are set to meet to agree on a new law.

“We discussed the electoral law proposals,” Miqati said after visiting Berri in Ain el-Tineh.

The parliamentary subcommittee failed on Saturday to reach consensus over a hybrid electoral draft law, MP Robert Ghanem announced after its meeting

“We will hand over the meetings' report to Speaker Nabih Berri,” he said, adding that the latter will then refer it to the joint parliamentary committee for further discussion.

Speaker Nabih Berri revealed that the joint parliamentary committees will tackle the Orthodox Gathering electoral draft law proposal should the electoral subcommittee fail to reach an agreement over the hybrid law, reported the daily An Nahar Saturday.

Berri told the daily that he is awaiting the final decision of the subcommittee, which is set to meet twice for the final time on Saturday, over the hybrid law.

Lebanese Forces bloc MP George Adwan on Friday said he submitted a new draft electoral law to the parliamentary electoral subcommittee, noting that its members only voiced minor reservations over his proposal.

“I submitted a proposal on behalf of the Lebanese Forces that reflects all the remarks, demands and concerns voiced by the MPs throughout this period,” Adwan said after the subcommittee's meeting on Friday afternoon.

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed that he is willing to perform “all it takes” in order to allow the various political powers to reach an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law.

He told al-Joumhouria newspaper in remarks published on Friday: “I informed the subcommittee that it can convene on Saturday if it fails to reach an agreement over a new law today.”

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly emphasized on Thursday the need for the various political powers in Lebanon to agree on a new parliamentary electoral law.

He said after holding talks with Speaker Nabih Berri: “We underlined the importance the U.N. attached to the conduct of free and fair elections in the prescribed time for democracy and stability in Lebanon.”

March 14 general secretariat reiterated Wednesday its plans of “peace for all the Lebanese,” voicing hopes that “the fall of the Syrian regime would be an opportunity to restore peace in Lebanon.”

Following the alliance's weekly assembly, March 14 forces general-secretariat coordinator Fares Souaid pointed out that the meeting was a preparation before the commemoration ceremony to be held at BIEL on Thursday to mark the 8th assassination anniversary of former PM Rafic Hariri.

Phalange Party MP Sami Gemayel proposed on Wednesday a hybrid electoral draft-law which divides Lebanon to nine districts based on proportional representation and 36 others based on winner-takes-all system.

Gemayel told reporters after the first round of discussions at the electoral subcommittee that his proposal sets the number of parliamentary seats at 134 and not 128, whereby seats would be equally divided between the March 8 and 14 coalitions.