Berri Says Introducing Amendments to 1960 Law Won't be Accepted

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Speaker Nabih Berri stated on Tuesday that efforts to keep the current 1960 electoral law does not only reflect “negatively” on the country, but also harms everyone including President Michel Aoun's term, al-Joumhouria daily reported Tuesday.

“Attempts to maintain the 1960 electoral law, negatively affects the country and harms everyone, at the forefront of which is the term of Aoun,” said Berri.

He pointed out that he still awaits the outcome on this matter.

“If the 1960 is a bad law, extending the parliament's term is even worse. Therefore, no one dares suggest this matter to me,” warned the Speaker.

On reports claiming that some “cosmetic” amendments are being made to improve the 1960 law in order to endorse it, Berri said: “I will not accept all that talk about transferring seats from here and there. It would harm the state institutions and the country at the same time.”

Lebanon's political parties are bickering over amending the current 1960 election law which divides seats among the different religious sects.

Mustaqbal, the Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party have 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.

Meanwhile, 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.

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
Comments 1
Thumb ado.australia 17 January 2017, 16:10

This guy is flipping and flopping that the 1960 law is the only opportunity, then that the 1960 law is a bad law!

Berri is the most corrupt leader in Lebanon and it is scary watching him flipping and flopping towards a position. When Hezbollah is against him, you know he is in trouble! Where is his mafia allie Walid Jumblatt?