Berri on electoral law: No agreement, no elections

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Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri said during an interview with An-Nahar newspaper which was published on Saturday that the upcoming 2013 parliamentary elections will not take place before a new consensus is reached on an electoral law .

He added that all the proposed electoral draft laws will be examined before political factions reach a deal on the most suitable one for the upcoming elections.

On Thursday, the joint parliamentary committees formed an electoral subcommittee to study the disputed issues concerning the electoral draft laws referred to the parliament .The committee is expected to hold its first meeting on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker Farid Makari.

MPs from the joint parliamentary committees have failed in five sessions to bridge the deep differences between the March 14 and the Hezbollah-led March 8 over which legislation best guarantees fair representation for all the parties in the 2013 elections.

The committees are discussing three proposals:

The cabinet’s draft electoral law which was approved earlier in August and which divides Lebanon into 13 medium-sized districts based on a system of proportional representation.

The March 14 proposal that would divide Lebanon into 50 small districts under a winner-takes-all-system

The so called Orthodox Gathering proposal which was forwarded by Aoun’s Change and Reform parliamentary bloc, 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 .

Commenting on the proposal submitted by the March 14 Christian MPs and which calls for the 50 electoral districts Berri said that the law submitted by the government guarantees to the christian community a greater number of deputies elected on the votes of Christians.”

Progressive Socialist party leader MP Walid Jumblatt favors the current 1960 electoral law as modified in Doha Qatar in 2008 and which calls for 26 districts and winner take all majority, but the Maronite bishops council rejected in September the 1960 electoral law because “it does not ensure fair representation.” They also oppose any amendment to the 1960 law, “because it resulted in representation that violates coexistence.”

Cabinet

Asked about the current cabinet of PM Najib Mikati, the speaker said: “ This government is needed. When some groups said that a new cabinet will be established to oversee the elections I replied saying that the present government will continue even after the elections and I hereby reiterate what I had said .”

Syrian uprising

Commenting on the fighting in violence-stricken Syria, Berri predicted that the Syrian crisis will be with us for a long time , while at the same time he voiced his hope that “the bloody confrontations there will stop as soon as possible.”

Speaker Berri, who heads up the Amal Movement is a key member of the Iranian and Syrian- backed Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance. There is concern within the March 14 opposition that Hezbollah is no hurry for the elections as long as the crisis in Syria continues.

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14 responses to “Berri on electoral law: No agreement, no elections”

  1. Patience2 Avatar

    Berri (and his rectal warts) raise their voices.

  2. Patience2 Avatar

    Berri (and his rectal warts) raise their voices.

  3. this man or we can call him human or mother #$$#$” s is the biggest trator in history of lebanon his a criminal..thug..and its hariris fault re electing him he should be behind bars not in the parlement..

    1.  Harriri the Saud citizen should go to Saudi Arabia Harri’s & co are the criminals that stole all of Lebanon and put Lebanon 50 billion in debt to, Better start packing for Saudi Arabia soon.

  4. this man or we can call him human or mother #$$#$” s is the biggest trator in history of lebanon his a criminal..thug..and its hariris fault re electing him he should be behind bars not in the parlement..

    1.  Harriri the Saud citizen should go to Saudi Arabia Harri’s & co are the criminals that stole all of Lebanon and put Lebanon 50 billion in debt to, Better start packing for Saudi Arabia soon.

  5. 5thDrawer Avatar

    “…..  the present government will continue even after the elections … ”
    Which is why the expats are not flocking to register to vote …..

    1. Persistent Avatar
      Persistent

      Why should the expats vote…. when these leaders are the reason most of us have left and many others destined to follow the same path. They raped the country empty and sold their souls.

      1. Hannibal Avatar

        They had no souls to begin with… It is supposed to be a Public Service position but they misinterpret it as the public is here to serve us… and YET like Mr. Ghassan Karam said we the people vote them in.

        1. Persistent Avatar
          Persistent

          Isn’t that the truth…..and some of us look upon them as goddess and defend their wrong doing relentlessly and if I might add to the point of exhaustion.

  6. 5thDrawer Avatar

    “…..  the present government will continue even after the elections … ”
    Which is why the expats are not flocking to register to vote …..

    1. Persistent Avatar
      Persistent

      Why should the expats vote…. when these leaders are the reason most of us have left and many others destined to follow the same path. They raped the country empty and sold their souls.

      1. Hannibal Avatar

        They had no souls to begin with… It is supposed to be a Public Service position but they misinterpret it as the public is here to serve us… and YET like Mr. Ghassan Karam said we the people vote them in.

        1. Persistent Avatar
          Persistent

          Isn’t that the truth…..

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