Berri Defends his Electoral Law Proposal because of its 'Unknown Outcomes'

Speaker Nabih Berri defended his parliamentary electoral law proposal, saying he is willing to assume the responsibility of its consequences, reported As Safir newspaper Tuesday.

He told the daily: “I proposed the hybrid draft law, the outcomes of which are unknown and based on constructive vagueness.”

“The law implies that each political camp is capable of winning the elections,” he remarked.

“I am willing to assume the responsibility for its consequences after some discussions with my allies, but in return, what is the alternative to the proposals presented by others,” continued the speaker.

“We are required to find common ground among the various factions,” stressed Berri.

In addition, he questioned the criticism directed against him by some March 14 circles over the approval of the Orthodox Gathering electoral law at the joint parliamentary committees.

“What error have I committed?” he asked.

“I tried my best to reach an agreement over an electoral draft law and I welcomed the Mustaqbal bloc's participation at the committees, but I called for a vote on the Orthodox law once I sensed that the parties were conducting political maneuvers,” Berri explained.

He reiterated his position that he will not call parliament to session to vote on a new electoral law if there is a lack of consensus over a draft proposal.

“There can be no legitimacy to an authority that contradicts coexistence and I am therefore keen that all components of Lebanese society take part in reaching an agreement over a new electoral law,” continued the speaker.

He said that he is not defending the Orthodox Gathering law, adding however that he understands the reasons why it was proposed.

“Such a law has been implemented in Lebanon since 1943 in the distribution of electoral districts where one sect is dominant over others,” he noted.

“We have been adopting it in secret, but now we are simply adopting it in the open,” he stated.

Berri proposed a hybrid electoral law based on the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems and 26 districts.

The law calls for the election of half the lawmakers in the new parliament based on the first system, with the other half elected based on the other.