The Lebanese parliament passed Friday a new electoral law during a legislative session held under the chairmanship of Speaker Nabih Berri and in the presence of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, coinciding with a sit-in staged by civil society groups in Riad al-Solh Square against “a third term extension.”
During the session, MP Samy Gemayel called for discussing the electoral law “item by item.” To this Speaker Nabih Berri replied that “he will not pass any item that has remarks over it,” noting that the procedure would change if there was a proposal to pass the law as one item.
In the same context, MP Boutros Harb requested to discuss all items in the draft law without rushing in passing it under pretext of “Iftar.”
Berri also replied to the request by saying: “Even if the law would be passed as one item, 5 minutes will be granted to every deputy to give his comments.”
MP Ali Qanso withdrew from the session following a debate with Berri over the failure to adopt a law where Lebanon is one electoral constituency.
Prior to the session, MP Strida Geagea noted that the majority of the parliamentary blocs have approved the new law.
In turn, MP Antoine Zahra said that the Lebanese Forces noticed at the last minute that there was a retreat regarding the women’s quota, stressing that they would have preferred the law to be passed with the women’s quota.
For his part, MP Naji Gharios stressed that they will develop the political work to serve the interests of the citizens through passing more laws, pointing out that they still cannot comment on the FPM alliance with the Lebanese Forces in Baabda.
In the same context, State Minister for Women’s Affairs Jean Ogassapian told LBCI that any law passed without the women’s quota is unfair and tarnishes Lebanon’s image.
“We will try to amend the Article 52 so that the electoral tickets will be mixed with at least one candidate from the other gender,” he stated.