Mustaqbal Clings to Hyrbid Law, Renews Rejection of Law Fully Based on Proportional Representation

W460

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday reiterated its rejection of an electoral law fully based on proportional representation and renewed its insistence on a hybrid electoral law that combines two systems.

In a statement issued after its weekly meeting, the bloc said it clings to “an electoral law format that mixes the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems, especially the draft law on which it had agreed on with the Democratic Gathering and the Lebanese Forces.”

Mustaqbal also stressed that the elections “must be held on time and without any delay.”

“The implementation of a system fully based on proportional representation amid the presence, proliferation and hegemony of illegitimate arms is a step that would disrupt all the balances, rules and foundations upon which Lebanon was built,” the bloc warned.

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

After a recent four-party meeting gathering the Free Patriotic Movement, Mustaqbal Hizbullah and AMAL Movement, the parties announced that major progress had been made towards agreeing on a hybrid electoral law.

However, the Democratic Gathering is still insisting on rejecting proportional representation in any law and on Tuesday the Gathering announced that it “categorically rejects all the formats that are being proposed for the electoral law.”

The PSP argues that proportional representation would “marginalize” the minority Druze community whose presence is concentrated in the Chouf and Aley districts.

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