Hizbullah and Mustaqbal Stress Need to Expedite Drafting of Electoral Law

Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal Movement on Tuesday stressed the need to speed up the drafting of the new electoral law under which the country's next parliamentary elections will be held.

In a statement issued after their 30th dialogue session in Ain el-Tineh, the two parties said they discussed “the political developments, the constitutional junctures and the parliamentary electoral law.”

The conferees “emphasized the need to expedite” the drafting of the electoral law, they added.

Speaker Nabih Berri has revealed that he has been secretly communicating with al-Mustaqbal for around a month now over a hybrid electoral law under which 64 MPs would be elected under the winner-takes-all system and the other 64 under the proportional representation system, a media report said on Monday.

In remarks published by An Nahar newspaper, Berri said he has been informed by Mustaqbal that an internal debate is taking place among the movement's members and that there is an inclination to endorse the hybrid law that has been proposed by the speaker.

“I have told Mustaqbal that I'm willing to be utterly responsive, if necessary, to any suggestion on any article in the draft law that might be perceived as vague or unfair, especially that the main goal behind this suggestion is balance and consistency,” Berri added.

The speaker also disclosed that he has discussed the issue with the Free Patriotic Movement, noting that “contacts are positive with both parties and will be completed on September 5” during the scheduled national dialogue session.

“Should we finalize the electoral law, we would be completing 90% of the package deal,” Berri pointed out.

But sources informed on the drafting of the new electoral law told An Nahar that “there are indications suggesting that it is not possible to reach a consensual format before the beginning of the parliament's regular session in mid-October, despite the efforts that are being currently exerted by the FPM and the Lebanese Forces.”

The country has not voted for a parliament since 2009, with the legislature instead twice extending its own mandate.

The 2009 polls were held under an amended version of the 1960 electoral law.