Geagea Denies Supporting Government Proposed Vote Law

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea denied on Wednesday that he supported a government proposed draft-law for the parliamentary elections, saying such a backing would hit hard all the negotiations made so far to reach consensus on another vote law.

“The return to the government's draft-law means hitting hard all efforts and negotiations aimed at agreeing on a new law,” Geagea told al-Akhbar newspaper. “It would bring us back to the starting point.”

The LF leader's denial came after a political source said that Geagea announced his backing for the government's proposal after agreement was reached to increase the number of districts from 13 to 15.

The proposal is based on a propositional representation system.

Geagea stressed that the parties willing to achieve consensus should discuss a hybrid draft-law that combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems.

Geagea hoped that all parties backing a draft-law that guarantees the best representation would work as soon as possible on reaching consensus on the hybrid law.

He stressed that the elections should be held on time. “That's why all parties should take this factor into consideration and speed up in setting their stances or else they would contribute directly or indirectly to the collapse of” the polls.

The joint parliamentary committees have approved the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal which sets Lebanon as a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own lawmakers based on a proportional representation system.

But the proposal has been severely criticized by President Michel Suleiman, PM Najib Miqati, the opposition al-Mustaqbal movement, the centrist Progressive Socialist Party and the March 14 opposition alliance's independent Christian MPs and officials.

The lack of consensus compelled Speaker Nabih Berri to procrastinate in calling for a General Assembly session to vote on the proposal, saying he would not set a date for a legislative meeting in the absence of agreement on a draft-law.