Parties React to Bassil's Latest Electoral Law Proposal

Progressive Socialist Party sources on Monday lashed out at the latest electoral law format that was proposed by Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil earlier in the day.

“It does not lead to correct and fair representation and it rather meets the FPM's ambitions, or specifically Bassil's personal ambitions,” the PSP sources told the Akhbar al-Yawm news agency.

“It strengthens sectarianism and complements the current alliance between the FPM and the Lebanese Forces, seeing as it calls for each sect to elect its own MPs, knowing that what's needed is a law that liberates the country from the chains of sectarianism,” the sources added.

Asked about Bassil's remarks on the creation of a Christian-chaired senate, the sources noted that should a senate be established, its chairmanship should be allotted to the Druze community.

“We are against sectarianism,” State Minister for Human Rights Ayman Shuqair of the PSP told reporters when asked the same question ahead of a cabinet session at the Grand Serail.

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq of al-Mustaqbal Movement meanwhile told reporters that he is yet to examine Bassil's proposal and that he “has not been informed of Mustaqbal's endorsement of the suggestion.”

Bassil hit back swiftly at Mashnouq, saying: “It seems that I am faster than Minister Mashnouq.”

Sport and Youth Minister Mohammed Fneish of Hizbullah meanwhile told the Central News Agency that a specialized Hizbullah committee is “studying” Bassil's proposal.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is expected to announce the party's official stance on Bassil's suggestion during a speech on Saturday, the agency said.

“We are still clinging to an electoral law fully based on proportional representation in the absence of an alternative that achieves the same fair and correct representation,” Fneish added.

Bassil's proposal calls for electing 64 MPs according to the proportional representation system in five electorates whereas the other 64 would be elected by their respective sects under a winner-takes-all system in 14 electorates.

Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but Mustaqbal and PSP leader MP Walid Jumblat have both rejected the proposal.

Mustaqbal argues that Hizbullah's arms would prevent serious competition in the party's strongholds while Jumblat has warned that such an electoral system would “marginalize” the minority Druze community whose presence is concentrated in the Chouf and Aley areas.