The electoral law is “more important than the presidency” and it “deserves sacrifices,” Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has declared.
“Let no one bet on a change in our stance and let no one threaten anyone with the 1960 law, which has no place in the year 2017,” Bassil added.
“The FPM, the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb Party have agreed that the elections will not be held under the 1960 law no matter what the cost might be,” the FPM chief went on to say.
He also noted that the FPM “will put an end to political feudalism in Lebanon,” clarifying that “feudalism is not a political dynasty but rather an approach.”
Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but al-Mustaqbal Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party have both rejected the proposal.
Mustaqbal argues that Hizbullah's arms would prevent serious competition in the party's strongholds while the PSP has warned that such an electoral system would “marginalize” the minority Druze community whose presence is concentrated in the Chouf and Aley areas.
The political parties are meanwhile discussing a so-called hybrid electoral law that mixes proportional representation with the winner-takes-all system.
Date: 05/03/2017
