REPORT: Minutes of the debates and disputes marking last electoral sub-committee meeting

LBCI received a copy of the minutes of Wednesday’s electoral sub-committee meeting, as follows:    

After MP Ahmad Fatfat refused to voice his stance on some MPs elected according to the electoral law based on proportional representation, voicing his attachment to the majoritarian system;       

After MP Akram Chehayeb refused to refer the Orthodox Gathering’s draft law to Parliament, calling for the completion of the debate based on the following formula: 70% for the majoritarian system and 30% for the proportional representation;    

And after MP Ali Bazzi stressed his attachment to the proposal which takes into account the just representation of all parties and political balance, MP Ali Fayad intervened saying: “I support Alain Aoun.”       

In this regard, MP Fatfat asked MP Alain Aoun: “What is the stance of the Free Patriotic Movement?”       

Aoun replied: We have no preconditions to enlarge or minimize electoral districts; the goal is to achieve parity and I endorse MP Georges Adwan in regards to the formula which guarantees just representation.        

As for Fatfat, he suggested the adoption of 4 parliamentary seats in each district according to the majoritarian system.     

MP Gemayel intervened: “It seems that we have reached a deadlock; everything is clear now and I do not see any common formulas. Since we do not intend to divide districts, we will not endorse any mixed formulas. We do not have an electoral law now and the fact that we did not reach a solution creates a void. Therefore, we are not compelled to commit to due dates as long as we do not have a new electoral law.”                                                                                                       

He added: “If we want elections to take place, we should be positive and hold elections on time; elections won’t be in line with the constitution in case they were held according to the 1960s law.”        

In response, MP Fayad said: “We are before a constitutional Christian Veto against the 1960s law.    

Despite the fact that MP Ghanem considered that we can rely on the 1960s law and re-divide it, Gemayel strongly refused this logic fearing that the resort to the 1960s law becomes a general rule.    

For his part, MP Chehayeb refused the saying that the 1960s law is not into force.   

In reply, MP Alain Aoun said “Elections based on the 1960s law are a red line just as much as elections based on the Orthodox Gathering’s law.”        

In the end, when the debate reached a deadlock, MP Adwan suggested putting an end to the committee’s task and submitting the report to House Speaker Nabih Berri.


For the full LBCI report, watch the VIDEO above