Berri Says Extension Fait Accompli, Sets Standards for New Electoral Law

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Speaker Nabih Berri has said that the law on the extension of parliament's term until June 2017 will come into force despite the rejection of several cabinet ministers to endorse it, and stressed that the new electoral law should adhere to the Taef Accord.

Several local dailies on Friday quoted Berri as telling his visitors that the extension of the legislature's tenure will become a fait accompli next week when the law is published in the Official Gazette.

Parliament extended its term on Wednesday despite the boycott of several lawmakers. But nine out of 24 ministers refused on Thursday to sign the draft-law.

The lawmakers, who voted in favor of the draft-law, claim they need to extend their own term in office because the security situation is too dire to allow holding elections amid Syria's civil war.

They also say extending parliament's mandate will prevent another power vacuum from forming in a country already divided along sectarian and regional lines.

Lebanon has been without a head of state since May, when President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ended without a successor.

Berri reiterated to his visitors that the security situation does not help to hold the elections, stressing that his priority was the country's stability.

Lebanon's “highest security compelled an extension,” he said.

Asked about the new electoral law, the speaker stressed that it would stipulate that half of the 128-member parliament would be elected under a winner-takes-all system, while the other half would be chosen using proportional representation.

He said that the draft-law must adhere to the Taef Agreement by adopting the governorate as an electoral district.

It should also have a fixed female quota, Berri added.

A committee of lawmakers is scheduled to meet on November 17 in Ain el-Tineh to begin discussions on the draft-law.

G.K.

H.K.

Comments 4
Missing humble 07 November 2014, 09:45

Caporal is working for the chaos to force others to elect him as the saviour. Then he will work for the Mutelateh: a reward to the shia but a destruction of the christians.
This is the man who pretends defending the christian interests.

Default-user-icon Sebouh80 (Guest) 07 November 2014, 10:32

To Mr. Nabieh Berri former Parliament Speaker of Lebanon, respectively.

Excuse my language Sir, but who decides the fate of the extension of the Parliament? If the answer is the 128 deputies instead of the people then with all due respect sir this reconfirms the conventional view that we are indeed living in a society that is still dominated by a group of extremely wealthy sectarian bourgeoisie, and this totally negates with the true democratic egalitarian principles that was envisioned by the thinkers of age of enlightenment. The thinkers of age of enlightenment includes the following, John Locke, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Issac Newton, Jean Jacques Rousseau and Karl Marx whose philosophy is also considered to be part of this long tradition.

Default-user-icon + oua nabka+ (Guest) 07 November 2014, 12:18

since 2005 there are no electoral law and you ya barri stood against all laws based on proportionality (as stipulated in taef )so all politicians that stood against new electoral law should be banned from re representation

Thumb just-lebanese 07 November 2014, 16:50

There's no way this government can stand as-is till 2017. In my opinion, it is much more likely to be brought down by another cedar revolution or [hopefully not] war.