Berri: Preparations for Parliamentary Elections Behind Time

In light of stalled efforts to line-up a new cabinet, Speaker Nabih Berri warned that Lebanon is behind time as for the preparations needed to hold the parliamentary elections as scheduled in June 2017, An Nahar daily reported Friday.

“The tenure of the current parliament ends on June 20, 2017, and the elections must be staged two months ahead. The door closes on the nominations three months before the parliament's tenure ends. The commission overlooking the elections must be formed six months in advance, that is at the beginning of the year,” Berri told his visitors.

“All these preparations need to be completed if the elections are to be staged on the basis of the (controversial) 1960 electoral law. Lack of commitment puts the elections at a challenge,” Berri has warned.

The Speaker noted that his words must not be marked as backing the thorny 1960 electoral law, but as a warning that the time factor is pressing.

He added that Caretaker Prime Minister Tammam Salam can implement the tasks shall Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri fail to line-up a new cabinet.

Premier-designate Hariri is still facing obstacles bringing together a line-up that balances Lebanon's delicate sectarian-based political system.Wrangling over the distribution of ministerial portfolios is at stake.

The political parties are also bickering over amending the current election law which divides seats among the different religious sects. The current parliament has failed to amend the law, and has extended its mandate twice amid criticism.

Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law based on proportional representation but other political parties, especially al-Mustaqbal Movement, 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 is influential.

Mustaqbal, the Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party 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.