The opposition March 14 alliance is set to announce whether its MPs will participate on Wednesday in the meeting of joint parliamentary committees to study electoral draft-laws after it criticized Speaker Nabih Berri for rushing to set the date, An Nahar daily reported.

The newspaper said on Sunday that the coalition will reveal whether March 14 lawmakers will attend the meeting that Berri has called for following the failure of a parliamentary subcommittee to agree on a draft-law.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat voiced his openness to the adoption of an electoral draft law that combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

He was reported as saying that he advocates the hybrid law on condition that the process of establishing a senate begin, revealing that he had informed President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati of this position.

Speaker Nabih Berri emphasized the need to “rectify” the situation at the parliamentary subcommittee given the dispute that emerged at the end of its meetings earlier this week, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

He told the daily that he is “very upset” with the dispute the erupted between Free Patriotic Movement MP Alain Aoun and Mustaqbal bloc MP Ahmed Fatfat.

Speaker Nabih Berri has lamented that Lebanese rival political parties were seeking the adoption of an electoral law that gives them the majority of seats in parliament, a move that would take Lebanon to more divisions, pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported on Friday.

Al-Hayat quoted Berri's sources as saying that “the electoral calculations could take back Lebanon to a new round of vertical divisions between the (opposition) March 14 and March 8 (majority) alliances.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat on Thursday expressed understanding of Christian fears from demographic changes but reiterated his warning from an electoral draft-law that causes further sectarian divisions among the Lebanese.

In remarks to As Safir daily, Jumblat said: “We understand the Christian worries from the demographic change but it is unacceptable to confront the minimum level of consensus” reached among different factions in return “for a law that would further cause national divide.”

The parliamentary subcommittee dedicated to studying an electoral draft law concluded on Wednesday a first round of talks with sessions set to resume later during the day.

MP Robert Ghanem announced that the meetings will continue in the afternoon after his talks with Speaker Nabih Berri, during which he informed the speaker of the discussions at the subcommittee.

Speaker Nabih Berri hinted on Wednesday that he would not end the mission of a parliamentary subcommittee tasked with finding common ground on an electoral draft-law, saying its members could continue to meet even if the file was referred to the joint committees.

In remarks to several newspapers, Berri said: “The session held yesterday (Tuesday) was better than its precedents.”

Speaker Nabih Berri suggested on Tuesday holding the elections of parliament and senate members simultaneously after the Progressive Socialist Party renewed its call for the creation of a senate and the implementation of administrative decentralization.

In remarks to As Safir daily, Berri said: “I suggest holding the parliamentary and senate elections simultaneously although the Taef accord calls for electing the members of the senate after the election of the first non-sectarian parliament.”

Phalange bloc MP Sami Gemayel revealed on Monday that Speaker Nabih Berri will call the joint parliamentary committees to meet next week if an agreement is not reached over a new electoral law.

He said after holding talks with Berri at Ain el-Tineh: “No electoral draft law has been put to rest and the speaker is committed to the agreements reached at the parliamentary subcommittee.”

Speaker Nabih Berri described this week “crucial” as rival MPs from the March 8 majority alliance and the March 14 opposition coalition resumed their discussions on an electoral draft-law.

In remarks to As Safir daily published Monday, Berri said: “This week will be crucial in terms of the work of the parliamentary electoral subcommittee.”