Berri to call for a new session for Communications Committee, date not yet set

The Parliamentary Communications Committee ended its session on Monday in Ain el-Tineh under the chairmanship of House Speaker Nabih Berri in hopes of reaching an agreement over a new electoral law.

"We are all in this together...if we fail to reach an agreement, I will be the first to announce it," Berri said as the session kicked off.

Prior to the session, Speaker Berri met with various deputies in a final bid to reach an agreement regarding the electoral law.                     

In this regard, Change and Reform Bloc MP Alain Aoun said that his bloc’s stance is clear, adding that they are against the 1960 electoral law and against extending the parliament’s mandate.                                        

For his part, Future Bloc MP Ahmad Fatfat said that they stand against the aforementioned law, and against the extension of the parliament’s mandate, stressing that they will not be submitting their candidatures today.                                

In turn, Progressive Socialist Party MP Akram Chehayyeb said that the PSP is neither against the 1960’s law, nor against extending the parliament’s mandate “so long as political vacuum is avoided”.                                   

As for MP Hagop Pakradounian, he said that the Tashnag Party stands against the Doha law; however, voiced his party’s support to extending the parliament’s mandate.                   

Meanwhile, Lebanese Forces Deputy George Adwan expressed his party’s rejection to the 1960 law and the extension of the Parliament’s mandate, and called for voting for a new electoral law during a General Authority Session.

Furthermore, journalists were asked to leave Ain-el-Tineh.

A closing statement will be issued after the session winds up.

A date for the next session has not been set.