Following the call by Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt for establishing a Senate in Lebanon, Speaker Nabih Berri proposed on Tuesday holding the elections of for the members of the parliament and the senate at the same time .
“I suggest holding the parliamentary and senate elections simultaneously even though the Taef accord calls for electing the members of the senate after the election of the first non-sectarian parliament.” Berri said in remarks published on Tuesday in As Safir newspaper
He said he would “deal with it seriously” if all factions agree to such a proposal, although parliament would lose some of its authorities, adding ” I don’t have any reservations in that regard because I don’t own the parliament.”
He proposed electing the senate based on the Orthodox Gathering proposal which envisages a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a system of proportional representation.
But he aslo proposed electing the parliament members based on proportional representation and a single district and overall equality between Muslims and Christians but said some sects may lose some of their representatives in the parlament.
Berri said all the electoral proposals are made in Lebanon . He added: “That’s why the Lebanese have a historic opportunity to prove their capabilities.”
Jumblatt
In his weekly article in PSP’s al Anbaa newspaper ,Jumblatt lauded Suleiman’s “progressive thinking,” for supporting civil marriage in Lebanon , hoping that this measure will mark the beginning of the process of elimination of sectarian barriers in the country .
“This will help pave the way for the implementation of the Taef Accord and the establishment of a senate in Lebanon as the proper representative for different Lebanese factions,” Jumblatt wrote
“The senate will offer an alternative to the backward thinking that was demonstrated in the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal or various televised debates that are reminiscent of the black days of the past,” Jumblatt wrote in reference to various electoral laws that are being considered to replace the current so called 1960 law
“The senate will offer an alternative to the backward thinking that was demonstrated in the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal or various televised debates that are reminiscent of the black days of the past,”
“Isn’t it better to bolster diversity and coexistence instead of division?” Jumblatt asked.
Bicameralism
In government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. The relationship between the two chambers of a bicameral legislature can vary. In some cases, they have equal power, and in others, one chamber is clearly superior to the other. It is commonplace in most federal systems to have a bicameral legislature. The United States, for example, has a bicameral legislature in which one chamber, the Senate, has an equal number of members representing each constituent state, and the members of the other chamber, the House of Representatives, number according to each state’s population.
Some political scientists believe that having a bicameral legislature makes meaningful political reforms more difficult to achieve and increases the risk of deadlock. This risk is greater in cases when both chambers have equal powers. Other political analysts argue strongly for the merits of the checks and balances that are provided by the bicameral model, which they believe helps prevent ill-considered legislation from being passed into law.
As of 2011, more than 20 countries had bicameral legislatures. Many other countries have unicameral legislatures, which consist of single legislative houses. The term “bicameral” comes from Latin and combines bi, which means “two”, with camera, which means “chamber.” “Unicameral” substitutes uni, or “one,” for bi.
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