Jumblat Meets Berri, to Issue Stance on Electoral Law Proposal within 24 Hours
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat held talks on Friday with Speaker Nabih Berri on the government formation process and the parliamentary electoral law.
He said after the meeting at Ain el-Tineh: “We discussed several proposals over the law and I will issue a stance over one of them within 24 hours.”
He stressed the importance of holding the parliamentary elections on time “in order to maintain stability in Lebanon.”
On the formation of a new cabinet, Jumblat remarked: “We hope the new government will include various political powers and respect the policy of disassociation.”
Lawmakers have until May 15 to reach an agreement on a new electoral law through consultations outside the parliament.
Regardless if they reach an agreement or not, Berri is set to call for a legislative session to vote on the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal.
The plan that calls for each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system is the only proposal that has been approved by the joint parliamentary committees.
But Berri has given the lawmakers more time to agree on an alternative to the 1960 law after al-Mustaqbal bloc, Jumblat's National Struggle Front and the March 14 alliance's independent MPs rejected the Orthodox proposal.
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