Berri: Lebanon Should Begin Preparations for New Electoral Law

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Head of Development and Liberation parliamentary bloc, Speaker Nabih Berri said Lebanon should start preparations for a new parliamentary electoral law, noting that his bloc prepared a “law initiative” in that regard, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.

“The current electoral law created great imbalance and an overwhelming complaint from everyone," said Berri, “experience has shown it to be a “mini Orthodox” law. We must therefore take advantage of the lessons that the elections have given.'

"We are working with a great deal of care to prepare a modern law that is based on Lebanon's relative size and on the aspirations of the Lebanese who wish to be represented fairly and correctly,” Berri told the daily.

The Speaker said his bloc has prepared a law initiative that sees Lebanon as one constituency on the basis of proportionality.

In 2018, Lebanon held its legislative elections based on a new electoral law adopted in 2017 that provides a proportional representation system for the first time in the history of the country.

On the timing of his call noting that Lebanon held its elections only a year ago, Berri said: “We don’t want to be short of time.”

The so-called Orthodox electoral law was proposed in 2012 by former Deputy Speaker Elie Ferzli. It calls for each sect to elect its own MPs within the country as a single district. Criticisms said it would aggravate sectarian divisions in the country.

SourceNaharnet
Comments 6
Thumb barrymore 25 April 2019, 14:15

A new electoral law that will give the shia of iran total control of Lebanon.

Thumb chrisrushlau 25 April 2019, 18:45

Right, except that a Lebanese Shia is a citizen of Lebanon.

Thumb EagleDawn 25 April 2019, 19:49

"Laugh out loud!" Aka, LOL.

Say it again, Chris.

Missing rabiosa 25 April 2019, 17:10

Berri has been advocating for a law that has Lebanon as single constituency. Something tells me there's got to be something behind his insistence on it. Honestly I preferred the winner take all in local districts. However until sectarianism is eliminated no law no matter how "modern" it is will always be flawed as it will always be based on religion.

I agree Eli Ferzli loves Syria more than he loves Lebanon. When ever I see him on tv defending the Assads, I just say to myself why don't you renounce your lebanese citizenship and move to Syria and take up residency. Am future they will fastback your citizenship since you were an informant for them all this time in Lebanon.

Thumb chrisrushlau 25 April 2019, 18:48

The STL is the best example of the instability that results from Lebanon's secular voting system, the set-aside of half of the legislative seats to Christians: you can't have a legal system, which means a rational system based on openness and fairness, if the system is run in an irrational manner: why should "Christians" get half the seats, and how do you define "Christian"? This Article 24 announces to the world, "We are irrational."

Thumb EagleDawn 25 April 2019, 19:50

As for your racism, you give that a good long try. Leave a note.