Oghassabian: Possible to Agree on Hybrid Electoral Law with 2-Month 'Technical Extension'
State Minister for Women's Affairs Jean Oghassabian of al-Mustaqbal Movement announced Thursday that “there is a possibility to agree on a hybrid law for the upcoming parliamentary elections.”
Under the proposed law, the first round of elections would be held according to the winner-takes-all system in Lebanon's 26 districts and the second round would be held according to the proportional representation system in the country's six governorates, Oghassabian told Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3).
He expected a “two- or three-month technical extension for the current parliament to give time for preparing for the implementation of the hybrid law.”
Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but other political parties, especially Mustaqbal and the Democratic Gathering, have rejected the proposal and argued that the party's controversial arsenal of arms would prevent serious competition in regions where the Iran-backed party has clout.
Mustaqbal, the Lebanese Forces and the Democratic Gathering have meanwhile proposed a hybrid electoral law that mixes the proportional representation and the winner-takes-all systems. Speaker Nabih Berri has also proposed a hybrid law.
The country has not voted for a parliament since 2009, with the legislature instead twice extending its own mandate.
The 2009 polls were held under an amended version of the 1960 electoral law and the next elections are scheduled for May 2017.
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