Women’s Quota among Controversial Electoral Law Issues

The women’s quota for the parliamentary elections was among several issues that cabinet ministers didn’t agree on during a session held at Baabda Palace on Tuesday, media reports said.

The government approved around 55 articles out of 123 of the electoral draft-law proposed by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel and discussions on the remaining controversial issues were referred to a session that is set to be held at Beiteddine palace next Monday.

The decision to continue talks on the remaining articles on proportionality, the division of districts, the voting of expatriates and the women’s quota, was taken by President Michel Suleiman over the absence of several ministers.

The ministers held lengthy discussions on the women’s quota that is based on 30 percent in each electoral list but agreed that more talks are needed to reach an agreement, the reports said Wednesday.

According to An Nahar daily, consultations are ongoing among the March 14 alliance members to confront the draft-law at the parliament if it was approved by the cabinet in an unsatisfactory way.