Bassil Threatens Return to Controversial Orthodox Gathering Electoral Law

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil warned Sunday that the FPM would insist anew on a controversial electoral law under which each sect elects its own MPs should the parties reject a new draft electoral law that he intends to propose.

“Dialogue is necessary but not at the expense of time... Dialogue is necessary in order to hold elections under a law that represents us all and achieves reform and real representation,” said Bassil, stressing that “there can be no stability in Lebanon without an electoral law that represents all Lebanese fairly and restores the rights” of Christians.

“Do we want people's opinion? Do we want to stay confined to the 1960 law or should we move forward?” Bassil asked.

Reminding that he had proposed two hybrid electoral laws and that the parties rejected them due to a dispute over “one or two seats,” Bassil expressed his readiness to propose a third electoral law.

“But what will happen should the parties reject this third law? We will then return to insisting on the Orthodox Gathering law, which we had sacrificed and which achieves real equal power-sharing between Christians and Muslims and a correct representation of the sects,” the FPM chief warned.

“If the intention is not to organize elections and procrastination, we are not a minority and no one can strike deals at our expense and we are not willing to lose more time,” he added.