Jumblat Meets Berri, Rejects Holding Polls 'amid These Bleak Circumstances'

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Friday announced his support for extending parliament's term, rejecting “the elections farce” and defending the army against verbal attacks from Tripoli politicians.

“Amid these bleak circumstances, I don't think that it is useful to engage in the elections farce,” said Jumblat after meeting Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain al-Tineh.

“Today, I'm with extending parliament's term because we can't hold elections in this tense atmosphere and because it would prevent vacuum and chaos in state institutions,” Jumblat explained.

“These are my words after my meeting with my friend, Speaker Berri, and I take responsibility for what I'm saying,” he added.

Jumblat's remarks come after state-run National News Agency reported that the caretaker cabinet will convene on Monday at the Baabda Palace to discuss the formation of the electoral supervisory commission and the electoral expenses.

Several officials submitted on Friday their candidacies to the upcoming parliamentary polls, including the Free Patriotic Movement, the AMAL movement, the March 14 Independent MPs, the Lebanese Forces and Hizbullah, despite strong objections over the adoption of the 1960 electoral law.

The parliamentary electoral subcommittee failed on Monday to reach an agreement over a new electoral law and Berri did not set a date for a new session.

Failure to reach consensus over an electoral law has raised fears of a political vacuum in Lebanon. In absence of consensus, the other two alternatives are holding the polls according to the 1960 law or extending the term of the current parliament.

Last week, al-Mustaqbal bloc, the Lebanese Forces, Jumblat’s National Struggle Front and March 14 alliance's independent lawmakers proposed a hybrid draft-law, which calls for 46 percent of MPs to be elected based on proportional representation and 54 percent under the winner-takes-all system.

Under the same proposal, Lebanon would be divided into 26 districts and six governorates.

But the members of the subcommittee that are part of the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance expressed reservations on it along with March 14's Phalange Party.

Turning to the issues of the deadly clashes in Tripoli and the battle in the Syrian town of Qusayr, Jumblat said: “There are forces who have opted for chaos in Tripoli and it is prohibited to attack the army because we would be committing self-destruction."

"We must protect the army under any circumstances," Jumblat stressed.

He noted that "major world powers are currently trying to resolve the crisis in Syria, such as the U.S. and Russia."

"So who are we to be able to change the equation in Syria, we won't be able to change anything," he added.

"I recommend reducing the interference in Syria and Tripoli's residents are Lebanese citizens. When Tripoli's political leaders reject the army, this is a condemned thing," Jumblat said.