Suleiman Maintains Rejection of Orthodox Law as Berri Doesn't Rule out Tackling it at Joint Committees

Speaker Nabih Berri revealed that the joint parliamentary committees will tackle the Orthodox Gathering electoral draft law proposal should the electoral subcommittee fail to reach an agreement over the hybrid law, reported the daily An Nahar Saturday.

Berri told the daily that he is awaiting the final decision of the subcommittee, which is set to meet twice for the final time on Saturday, over the hybrid law.

Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan had presented to the subcommittee on Friday a hybrid draft law that combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems and which “caters to the concerns” of all political forces.

An Nahar added that this proposal will not eliminate discussions over other versions of the hybrid law.

Mustaqbal MP Ahmed Fatfat meanwhile told the daily that the bloc's suggestion “is a consensual proposal,” while saying that Adwan's draft law requires “further study due to some flaws in the administrative divisions.”

He explained that the LF MP's proposal calls for the election of eight lawmakers for the Ashrafiyeh region in Beirut through 120,000 voters, while seven MPs are voted for in another district that includes 220,000 voters.

An Nahar revealed that Fatfat and Adwan held a meeting on Friday night in order to study possible amendments to the proposal.

President Michel Suleiman meanwhile informed his visitors on Friday that he will continue on rejecting the Orthodox Gathering proposal “regardless of the pressure and criticism directed against him,” said the daily.

“He is confident of the constitutional mechanism that will prevent the adoption of the Orthodox law,” they reported him as saying.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun had told al-Akhbar newspaper Friday that Suleiman “should not bother” rejecting the law because his effort will fail.

The subcommittee has been meeting since January in order to reach an agreement over a new electoral law with discussions focusing on the Orthodox Gathering proposal and different versions of the hybrid law.

The Orthodox law calls for each sect to elect its own MPs under a proportional representation system based on a nationwide district..

The draft law was rejected by Suleiman, Premier Najib Miqati, the Mustaqbal Movement, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, and independent March 14 MPs.

It was criticized for fueling sectarian divisions.

Different March 14 and 8 camp Christian parties had instead advocated the proposal, saying that it catered to the concerns of Christians in Lebanon.

The failure to reach an agreement over a new electoral law has sparked fears that the elections, set for June, may be postponed.