Raad Says 'No One Can Act Unilaterally' on Electoral Law

MP Mohammed Raad, the head of Hizbullah's Loyalty to Resistance parliamentary bloc, stressed Monday that “no one can act unilaterally” regarding the new electoral law.

“We must finalize the electoral law's remaining points and end the debate on it,” Raad said.

“As long as we've agreed on a format, which is proportional representation in 15 districts, we must be swift in discussing the details,” the MP added.

“No one can go backward or reverse the general framework that we have agreed on for the electoral law,” the lawmaker went on to say.

He also stressed that “time is not in anyone's favor.”

In remarks published Sunday, Lebanese Forces deputy leader MP George Adwan stressed that the country will have a new electoral law “on Friday.”

Adwan has played a key role in promoting a draft electoral law fully based on the proportional representation system and 15 electoral districts.

The parties have agreed on the law's general format but they are still discussing the mechanism of counting votes going for so-called preferred candidates on the electoral ballots and whether it should depend on the electoral districts or the administrative districts.

The Cabinet will discuss the draft law on Wednesday and should an agreement be reached Parliament is supposed to approve the bill on Friday.