Gemayel: Proportional Representation Radically Changes Political System,Taef

Kataeb party leader MP Sami Gemayel emphasized that the party still prefers to hold the upcoming parliamentary elections using individual districts --one person, one vote--or proportional representation in small districts, al-Joumhouria daily said on Thursday.

“We are still on our position as for staging the elections using individual districts or proportionality in small districts,” Gemayel told the daily.

Whether he believes an agreement on a new law will be reached in April as reports say, he said: “God willing. But frankly, I personally see nothing of that sort. I have not sensed any serious suggestion.”

On proposals calling to stage the elections under a proportional representation system, the Kataeb chief said: “Proportional representation means a radical change in the political system, the Taef Agreement and the Constitution. I don't know if they will go that far.”

The political parties have intensified their efforts in a bid to agree on a new electoral law before the expiry of the deadlines.

They are discussing several formats of a so-called “hybrid” electoral law that combines the proportional representation and winner-takes-all systems.

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