Jumblat: PSP Election Law Demands Compatible with Taef Accord

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stressed on Thursday that his party's demands for a new electoral law for the upcoming parliamentary elections go in harmony with the Taef accord, as he assured that it must secure balanced political and regional representations

“The election law must ensure an accurate balance for political and regional representation,” said Jumblat in a tweet.

He added: “We have great hopes that the three presidents --President Michel Aoun, PM Saad Hariri and Speaker Nabih Berri-- and all political forces would have a clear understanding about the requests of the Democratic Gathering bloc which shows coherence with the Taef Accord.”

A PSP delegation met a day earlier with Aoun where talks focused on a law that will govern the May 2017 elections.

Jumblat has recently revoked backing for a hybrid law system as agreed previously with the Lebanese Forces and al-Mustaqbal Movemnet. Instead, he voices backing for a majoritarian electoral system.

Lebanon's political parties are bickering over amending the current 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.

Comments 0