Speaker Nabih Berri has admonished Prime Minister Najib Miqati during a telephone conversation on his alleged support for the 1960 electoral law that is based on a winner-takes-all system, As Safir daily reported on Wednesday.

During their conversation on Tuesday night, Berri asked Miqati whether he is supporting the 1960 law and has backed off from a government draft-law referred to the parliament last summer that calls for dividing Lebanon into 13 districts based on a proportional representation system.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Tuesday that his cabinet is committed to hold the parliamentary elections on time.

“Polls will be carried out on June 9 according to the current draft-law,” Miqati told reports at the Grand Serail.

A parliamentary subcommittee discussed on Tuesday a hybrid draft-law proposal made by al-Mustaqbal bloc, a move that was lauded as a step forward to reach consensus on a new law ahead of this year’s elections.

Al-Mustaqbal MP Ahmed Fatfat announced after the subcommittee meeting that the bloc remains committed to an initiative announced by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

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 electoral subcommittee resumed talks on Monday to find common ground between rival parties on an electoral law that better represents all Lebanese factions and sects.

The subcommittee chairman MP Robert Ghanem told reporters gathered at the parliament after the first round of talks that “Tuesday is the last day to suggest amendments on the hybrid electoral law.”

Speaker Nabih Berri expressed optimism on the electoral subcommittee meetings, pointing out that if the members failed to reach common ground then the matter will be referred to the joint parliamentary committees.

The speaker told An Nahar newspaper on Friday that the subcommittee's chairman, MP Robert Ghanem, briefed him on the appearance of new “positive” signs during the meetings.

The residents of the eastern town of Arsal formed on Wednesday a committee to hold talks with senior officials following a deadly ambush of an army patrol, media reports said.

The committee, according to Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3), will meet with Army Commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji, President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Miqati in light of the recent attack that left two army soldiers and a suspect dead.

Speaker Nabih Berri advocated on Wednesday the adoption of an electoral draft-law referred by the government to the parliament after al-Mustaqbal made a new proposal that its critics said limited the representation of Christians in the legislature.

LBCI TV said that Berri referred al-Mustaqbal's draft-law to the government to study it pending its referral to the joint parliamentary committees.

The electoral subcommittee resumed on Monday its meetings to discuss the hybrid draft-law that combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems.

MP Robert Ghanem said after the meeting that various lawmakers made suggestions over the distribution of candidates between the two systems.

The Mustaqbal bloc announced on Monday an electoral draft law based on former Prime Minister Saad Hariri's recent initiative.

“We presented to parliament an electoral draft law that tackles the concerns of Christians over fair representation,” MP Ahmed Fatfat said during a press conference at parliament.