Harb Urges Parties to Grasp Opportunity for Electoral Law Improvements

MP Boutros Harb said on Monday that no agreement on an electoral law was reached during a meeting held Sunday evening at Ain el-Tineh, adding that discussions were still underway to improve conditions.

“There was no agreement on a single scenario during Sunday's evening meeting on an electoral law. Debate is continuing in order to improve conditions in the recent negotiations,” said Harb in an interview to VDL (100.5).

However, Harb noted that the political authority will be compelled to stage the elections based on the current 1960 law if agreement fails. But stressed that an accord was inevitable to prevent a political crisis.

"If no agreement is reached, the country will fall in vacuum and the political authority will then be forced to stage the elections based on the (current) law that is rejected by all parties, which is the 1960 law,” he stressed.

“There is no escape from an agreement because they (political parties) will engage the country in a political impasse after which we will return to the 1960. The current stage is that for improvements, after which they will be compelled to agree on reasonable adjustments acceptable by all components," concluded Harb.