March 14 MP Khaled Zahraman , a key member of Future Movement parliamentary bloc said on Sunday that a committee to agree on an electoral law for the 2013 elections and beyond was formed and it includes members from March 14’s Lebanese Forces, Future Movement and the National Struggle Front bloc.
“The Lebanese Forces, Future Movement and National Struggle Front bloc which is headed by MP Walid Jumblatt formed a committee to agree on an electoral law,” Zahraman told Future TV News
In a related development Hezbollah has been trying to convince jumblatt to accept the electoral draft law which was approved by the cabinet and which is based on proportional representation, but the PSP leader maintained his position of rejecting this law because he believes it is aimed at eliminating a major political camp ( March 14), a National Struggle Front source said on Sunday.
Hezbollah is pushing the new electoral draft law which is based on proportional representation as approved by the majority of ministers, including the FPM ministers . The ministers that represent Jumblatt’s bloc voted against this law which divides Lebanon into 13 electoral districts.
MP Alain Aoun along with FPM MP Neemtallah Abi Nasr also submitted another draft electoral law to the parliament committees . This is the so called “Greek Orthodox gathering proposal” which calls on each sect in Lebanon to vote only for its candidate in the elections based on proportional representation and one electoral district for the whole country .
March 14 Christian MPs Georges Adwan, Boutros Harb and Sami Gemayel also submitted a draft electoral law based on 50 districts and winner take all majority to the Parliament’s General Secretariat last month.
Jumblatt and his PSP MPs favor the current 1960 electoral law as modified in Doha Qatar in 2008 and which calls for 26 districts and winner take all majority.
According to Jumblatt sources those behind a proportional law based on 13 electoral districts expect that Hezbollah, the Free Patriotic Movement, AMAL Movement and their allies to win more than 70 seats – half of the parliament’s 128 seats plus six ( excluding Jumblatt’s bloc), while those behind the proposal that is based on 50 electoral districts and a winner-takes-all system expect the March 14 forces to win more than 75 seats, also excluding Jumblatt’s bloc.
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