Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Hariri to Propose ‘Salvation’ Initiative to Resolve Lebanon’s Electoral Law Crisis | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page
Media ID: 55373525
Caption:

Birds fly outside Lebanon’s parliament building in downtown Beirut in 2014. (AFP)


Beirut – Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri is expected to propose before a ministerial panel aimed at tackling a new parliamentary electoral law a “salvation” initiative that would resolve the dispute over the issue.

Mustqabal Movement MP Oqab Saqr told Asharq Al-Awsat that the initiative is a “national draft law that takes into consideration all the parties and members of civil society.”

It also caters to all sectarian concerns without actually being a sectarian draft law, he explained.

“This proposal is the last chance after all other draft laws were rejected in the past,” he added.

Hariri waited for all parties to submit what they had and he has “positively dealt with them without vetoing anything,” continued the MP.

Officials were however informed that he will “preempt” the May 15 parliamentary session in an attempt to end the protracted crisis over the electoral law, said Saqr.

The dispute over the law has led Lebanon’s parliament to twice extend its term amid popular opposition. The extension has twice led to the postponement of parliamentary elections, which were last held in 2009.

Saqr refused to reveal the details of Hariri’s draft law proposal or whether it is based on the hybrid system or the proportional one.

He stressed the need for the law to “take the natural course of being submitted before the ministerial panel and later the concerned leaderships.”

“This is not a publicity stunt, but a centrist and final solution that takes into consideration the observations of all parties that were made on other proposals,” he clarified.

“If this draft law is not approved, then it will be clear that there is no intention to adopt a new electoral law. We therefore will no longer be able to deal with the political powers rationally because Hariri made concessions that no other camp made,” he stated.