Mustaqbal: Elections Must Be Held on Time, New Cabinet's Ministers Shouldn't Be Nominated for Parliament

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday reiterated its call for holding the elections on time without any “postponement or stalling in this matter”, expressing their support for a hybrid electoral law.

"The bloc is now working on developing an advanced formula of the hybrid proposal,” the MPs revealed in a released statement after the bloc's weekly meeting at the Center House.

They expressed: “The elections are an opportunity to renew the democratic system in Lebanon and they give the people a chance to elect their representatives. We do not think there are any excuses for postponing the elections”.

The lawmakers said that Prime Minister Najib Miqati's resignation opened “new positive horizons for the future of Lebanon and led to a prevailing state of calm and peace among citizens after the dominance of tension in the political, social, and economic domains that were brought forward by the government's practices and the differences between its members”.

“The resignation allows for the formation of a new cabinet, one that must seriously work on safeguarding Lebanon against sectarian and political tension and assure security in the country,” the statement elaborated.

"It should also work on restoring trust in the state's constitutional, legal, administrative and economic institutions”.

Miqati resigned last month over differences between cabinet members on the formation of the authority that would oversee the elections and the extension of the tenure of Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, who handed over his post to Brig. Gen. Roger Salem after reaching the age of retirement.

The al-Mustaqbal MPs stated that the new ministers must not be nominees for the parliamentary elections, urging holding the consultations to name the next premier on time.

”The statement plan of the cabinet should reflect the Baabda Declaration and commit to the policy of disassociation without being selective in this matter to protect Lebanon from the repercussions of the regional, particularly Syrian, turmoil,” the MPs said.

Al-Mustaqbal said that besides holding the elections on time, the new cabinet's priorities must include preparing an electoral law that assures just representation and freedom of choice, taking into consideration Christian-Muslim coexistence.

"The National Pact and the Constitution should also be considered as the pillars of any law to be adopted,” the statement noted.

It added: “The cabinet must call national dialogue sessions under the patronage of President Michel Suleiman”.