Change and Reform: 1960 Law Buried, Efforts to Find New Law Still Ongoing

The Change and Reform parliamentary bloc stressed Tuesday that there will be no return to the controversial 1960 electoral law, while noting that efforts to find a new electoral law are still ongoing.

In a statement issued after its weekly meeting, the bloc called for “fair standards” that lead to an electoral law that achieves “correct and effective political representation.”

“Everyone has become confident that the 1960 law has been buried and that the elections will be inevitably held – hopefully within the deadlines – and according to a law conforming to the standards of the constitution and the National Pact,” it added.

“To date, we cannot say that we have grown exhausted or tired of suggesting proposals and ideas... and we will continue to launch initiatives,” the bloc said.

“When the initiatives stop, the head of the bloc and the Free Patriotic Movement will announce that, but that day is still distant, because we are supposing that there are good intentions and the atmosphere is still positive, at least in terms of communication,” the bloc added, noting that FPM chief Jebran Bassil would announce any subsequent steps in due time.

Some political parties have suggested a vote in parliament should there be failure to agree on a consensual electoral law.

The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and the legislature has since extended its own mandate twice.

While al-Mustaqbal Movement has rejected that the electoral law be fully based on proportional representation, arguing that Hizbullah's arms would prevent serious competition in the party's strongholds, Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat has totally rejected proportional representation, even within a hybrid law, warning that it would “marginalize” the minority Druze community.

The political parties are meanwhile discussing several formats of a so-called hybrid law that mixes proportional representation with the winner-takes-all system.