Will the Christian ship sail safely towards a new electoral law?

Christian MPs are divided between two new draft election laws.    

The first one was forwarded by MPs Nematallah Abi Nasr and Alain Aoun and is based on the Orthodox Gathering’s proposal. According to this draft, voters choose candidates from their own sects, based on electoral lists and considering Lebanon as one electoral district. Accordingly and without any geographical or sectarian change to the distribution of seats, Christians will choose 64 Christian MPs.      

In this regard, Change and Reform bloc MP Alain Aoun told LBCI that the proposed draft law keeps the same district distribution and allows voters to choose candidates from their own sects in all Lebanese regions. “Maronites for example, can choose 34 Maronite MPs”, he said.  

This draft law is endorsed by 27 Change and Reform bloc MPs.     

On the other hand, Kataeb, Lebanese Forces, MP Boutros Harb and 14 other MPs forwarded a different draft law that would divide Lebanon into 50 small electoral districts as follows:  

Beirut will be divided into 7 districts    

Baalbek – Hermel: 4 districts     

West Bekaa – Rachaya: 2 districts   

Zahle: 3 districts    

Tyre: 2 districts      

Marjaayoun – Hasbaya: 2 districts  

Finally, Tripoli, Akkar, Chouf, northern Metn and Baabda will be divided into 3 districts while the Mount Lebanon district of Keserwan will be made up of 2 districts.       

March 14’s Christians are counting on on the support of their allies and they are seeking to get MP Walid Jumblatt to endorse their proposal.       

In this regard, MP Boutros Harb told LBCI that the ratification of an electoral law that would entitle Christians to choose 57 out of 64 MPs is a “very good step”, adding that the reservations of MP Walid Jumblatt over the electoral law do not mean that we cannot agree with him on a compromise.        

The two Christian rival parties refuse to go back to the 1960s electoral law, both relying on the votes of their allies; and the determining word lies with Walid Jumblatt. 


For the full LBCI report, watch the video above.