Speaker Nabih Berri deferred the General Authority legislative session which was set for today (Wednesday) at parliament with the Orthodox Gathering electoral draft law as its main item, citing lack of quorum as the main reason behind this decision. Speaker Berri called for the parliamentary sub-committee to hold open-ended sessions as of this afternoon and until Friday under his guidance in hopes of reaching consensus over an electoral law to govern the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The General Authority session was set to discuss the Orthodox Gathering draft law
in the absence of the Future bloc and the Progressive Socialist Party who both declared on Tuesday that
they will be boycotting the session.
Sources told LBCI that the Kataeb party rejected the hybrid draft law,
which was agreed upon by the Lebanese Forces and the Future Movement,
noting that “this draft contains loopholes”.
The
Kataeb party leader Amin Gemayel stressed, in a statement to LBCI, his
party’s rejection to the hybrid formula.
The sources added that MP
Michel Aoun also rejected the hybrid law and will declare his position
from al-Nejmeh Square, pointing out that the Shiite bloc will stand by
Aoun in his stance.
This as, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati
arrived to the Parliament in order to participate in the discussions
held at Berri’s office. MP Michel Aoun also arrived to the Parliament to
participate in the legislative session, where intensive meetings are
underway with Speaker Berri in order to reach an agreement.
Independent deputies:
The independent MPs
held on Wednesday morning a meeting at MP Boutros Harb’s residence to
discuss the hybrid electoral draft law, deciding to approve it and
participate in the legislative session. The hybrid law has long been seen by opposing parties as a "solution to the deadlock" over the much disputed electoral law.
Speaking on behalf of the independent deputies, deputy Michel Pharaon said
that he supports holding the parliamentary elections according to a
"fair law which preserves the rights and interests of the Christians and
which is protected by the Constitution".
MPs supporting the hybrid draft law
March
14 forces held a meeting at the office of MP Farid Makari prior to a
press conference where the party announced its final position. The meeting
included MPs George Adwan, Ahmad Fatfat, Akram Chehayyeb and former PM
Fouad Siniora, in the absence of the Kataeb party.
In this
context, sources reported that MP Akram Chouhayeb signed the hybrid
draft law on behalf of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) noting that
he will not participate in the press conference.
Following the
meeting, MP George Adwan stressed the importance of “maintaining
balance” in order to reach common grounds, pointing out that the Future
Movement and the PSP were rejecting the law of proportionality while the
other parties, mainly Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, were insisting on an
electoral law based on proportional representation.
Adwan pointed out that,
during the meeting held at Bkerke, the conferees decided to approve the
Orthodox Gathering draft law in order to ensure fair representation, but
when the hybrid project was proposed, they resumed discussions.
The
MP stressed that the Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Beshara Boutros Rai
welcomed the idea of the hybrid electoral law when it was proposed by
the Lebanese Forces, and suspended the Orthodox proposal to discuss the
hybrid project.
Adwan then stressed the necessity of “fine tuning”
the country’s national interest in such a manner that would be
beneficial to the entire political spectrum, adding that his party’s
agreement on the hybrid law proposed on the basis of Speaker Berri’s
suggestion comes in line with the aforementioned principles.
“Wrong are those who believe that we conceded to the hybrid draft law in a bid to create a showdown amongst our peers.”
“We
are keen on the interest of all confessions and their representation
and do not desire confrontation with any party; our coordination with
the Free Patriotic Movement has been ongoing in order to reach consensus
in this regard,” he added.
The LF MP mentioned that the party’s
lawmakers would be holding further deliberations with Speaker Berri
following the press conference, “to place in his hands all the results
of their efforts placed to devise an electoral law,” reiterating the
party’s refusal to join in a General Authority session to discuss and
vote on a project that would only create “further strife and divisions”.
Adwan
then confirmed that MP Akram Chehayyeb, representing the National
Struggle Front, signed the hybrid law proposed by the LF, adding that
further discussions will be exerted with the Kataeb party in order to
reach consensus over the issue.
The hybrid law formula revealed by
Adwan is based by 54% on the majoritarian system and 46% on the law of
proportional representation and is divided into 26 majoritarian
electoral districts and 6 on the proportional representation basis,
providing 54 deputies elected solely through the Christian vote.
At
the end of the press conference, MPs Adwan, Makari, Marwan Hamadeh and
former PM Siniora headed to meet with Speaker Berri at parliament to
deliver their proposal.
Kataeb party’s stance over hybrid draft law
For his part, MP Sami Gemayel stressed that his party will not
hinder any attempt to reach a consensual agreement, noting that they
will work on ensuring quorum at any session intended to discuss a draft
law.
Gemayel expressed reservations over the hybrid draft law,
hoping that discussions will continue with Speaker Berri in order to
reach a fair solution.
“We oppose many items included in the
hybrid draft law, mainly the one pertaining to the division of the
electoral districts and governorates,” Gemayel added.
Change and Reform bloc’s stance:
The
head of the Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun declared that the
“today was a historic day awaited to approve a new electoral law which
ensures fair representation".
Aoun added that some parties which
were supporting the Orthodox Gathering draft law broke their commitment
and dropped “the most important law for the Christians,” noting that
these parties have violated the principle of coexistence in Lebanon.
The
FPM leader stressed that the Orthodox Gathering draft law would have
ensured fair representation for the Christians, noting that the result
reached today and the positions of some parties in favor of the hybrid
proposal “wasted the rights of the Christian community.”
MP Antoine Zahra:
For his part, the Lebanese Forces bloc member
MP Antoine Zahra stressed that there is no need to hold a special
parliamentary session, since article 69 of the Constitution stipulates
that when the cabinet resigns the Parliament is automatically considered
in an extraordinary session until a new government is formed and gained
confidence.