Cabinet Forms Committee to Prepare Electoral Law Draft, Aoun Assures no Vacuum at Parliament
The cabinet convened on Monday to look into a new parliamentary electoral law system to govern Lebanon's upcoming polls and agreed on the formation of a ministerial committee that will devise a new draft law, as President Michel Aoun assured there will be no vacuum at the legislative institution.
“The committee will be led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri and is set to meet on Tuesday,” said Information Minister Melhem Riachi, as he assured that the committee will finalize its mission in a brief period.
LBCI has likened the committee to the one that devised the ministerial statement.
Before the cabinet convened at the Presidential Palace, President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri held a closed meeting where discussions touched on the general situation in the country.
At the beginning of the meeting, Aoun appeased fears over vacuum at the parliament and said: “There will be no parliamentary vacuum. The cabinet will begin discussions on a new electoral law and our meetings will be open until a result is reached.”
The cabinet has also shed light on the deteriorating security situation at the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh in Sidon, as the camp witnesses its fourth successive day of fighting as an extremist group battles a local security force.
The cabinet stressed the need to put all efforts needed to bring peace back to the camp.
Turning to Egypt's jihadist bombings at two churches on Sunday, the ministers condemned the attack that killed dozens of worshipers as they celebrated Palm Sunday mass.
Before the meeting began, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Ghassan Hasbani said: “The general ideas, principles and the guidelines of the electoral bills will be discussed.”
Public Works and Transport Minister Youssef Fenianos said: “We are here to lament the hybrid law and to stabilize full proportionality.”
Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hassan said: “Our positions is clear and we support proportionality, but we are open for discussions until an agreement is reached.”
State Minister for Women's Affairs Jean Oghassapian rejected the principle of voting on a new law, stressing the significance of “understanding and agreement.”
Source: Naharnet
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