Jumblat: Stop Breaching the Constitution, Implement Taef Accord

In light of the political flurry over agreeing on an election law that meets approval of all parties, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat voiced calls for the implementation of the Taef Agreement and slammed threats about vacuum at the parliament as “unconstitutional.”

“Enough putting election draft laws that only divide instead of unite, and violate the constitution,” said Jumblat in a tweet on Tuesday.

“Implement the Taef,” he said, voicing calls upon political parties to endorse a law for the upcoming parliamentary polls in conformity with the 1989 Taef Accord.

The PSP categorically rejects a hybrid electoral law proposed by Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil and all other proposals that contain proportional representation.

The Democratic Gathering bloc of Jumblat, has been touring officials lately to make their position clear, the most recent was a meeting with Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Tuesday.

After the meeting the conferees agreed that all discussions regarding the electoral law must conform with the 1989 Taef Accord.

Jumblat added in his tweet: “Threats about vacuum at the parliament,” shall officials fail to agree on a new law are “unconstitutional.”

He was referring to a statement made by President Michel Aoun, who said that if had to choose between extending the parliament’s term or vacuum, he would choose vacuum.

The political parties have intensified their efforts in recent days in a bid to agree on a new electoral law before the expiry of the deadlines.

They are discussing several formats of a so-called “hybrid” electoral law that combines the proportional representation and winner-takes-all systems. But according to media reports, the consultations regarding the law have returned to square one.

One of the main obstacles is the Progressive Socialist Party's rejection of proportional representation. The party has warned that any law containing proportional representation would “marginalize” the minority Druze community.

Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but other political parties, especially Mustaqbal and the PSP, have rejected the proposal, arguing that Hizbullah's weapons would prevent serious competition in the Iran-backed party's strongholds.

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 and the next elections are scheduled for May 2017.