Mustaqbal Says Jumblat's Approval on Election Law Crucial

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Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury of al-Mustaqbal Movement emphasized that the party will not endorse an electoral law that does not meet the consent of the Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, An Nahar daily reported Wednesday.

“We will not approve any law that does not meet Jumblat's approval,” assured Khoury in an interview to the daily.

“We are approaching an agreement on the suggestion proposed by Speaker Nabih Berri. We are still holding discussions on the matter with the PSP and the Lebanese Forces,” added the Mustaqbal minister.

Speaker Nabih Berri has proposed a hybrid electoral law under which 64 MPs would be elected under the winner-takes-all system and the other 64 under the proportional representation system.

Khoury assured that Mustaqbal does not mind to adopt Berri's suggestion, he said: “We do not mind. But the major hurdle lies in the distribution of seats in the majoritarian and the proportional. The rule for seat distribution must be unified, and the same standards must be adopted in all districts and provinces.”

Mustaqbal's stance came after a similar position declared by the Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea on Tuesday, appeasing Jumblat's fears of the endorsement of an election law that would diminish his role and share in the parliament.

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 proposed a hybrid electoral law under which 68 MPs would be elected under the winner-takes-all system and 60 MPs under the proportional representation system.

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.

SourceNaharnet
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