Berri Hails al-Rahi's Call for Re-Endorsing 1960 Law, Slams Bassil's Proposal

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has hailed Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi's stance that considered the controversial 1960 electoral law as the alternative to another extension of parliament's term, as he criticized the latest electoral law format that has been proposed by Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil.

“Al-Rahi made a rational statement when he said that the alternative to extension is the re-endorsement of the 1960 law,” Berri's visitors quoted him as saying in remarks published Sunday in the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat.

“When the patriarch says that the 1960 law is the alternative to extension, this means that it is also the alternative to vacuum. I'm not saying this because I support the 1960 law and I was the one who said 'no to the 1960 law, no to extension and no to vacuum',” Berri added, according to his visitors.

“A law can only be annulled through another law. This is a constitutional principle... Through what logic should we annul the law that is in effect if there is no alternative law?” Berri stated.

The Speaker added that he is waiting for the political parties to reach an agreement over a new electoral law in what is left of the one-month period that was made possible by President Michel Aoun's suspension of parliament on Wednesday.

Turning to Bassil's electoral law proposal, which involves sectarian voting in its first round, Berri accused the FPM chief of seeking to “block the election of some Christian forces.”

“That's why it is not right to say that there is a Christian-Muslim problem over the law, seeing as it has to do with the situation in the Christian arena,” Berri added.