On the eve of a cabinet meeting set to discuss a draft electoral bill for Lebanon's parliamentary elections, things seem to be worsening in light of the absence of initiatives and deliberations between political parties mainly between the two Shiite parties (AMAL and Hizbullah) and the Free Patriotic Movement, al-Joumhouria daily reported Wednesday.
The latest effort made in that regard was a meeting between head of the FPM Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan, PM Saad Hariri's adviser Nader Hariri of al-Mustaqbal Movement, said the daily.
There was no agreement to schedule a meeting between the four-party panel -formed by the cabinet earlier for the purpose of discussing a voting system, it added.
Sources following up closely on the elections file, told the daily that Thursday's meeting is going to be a “test for intentions as for an electoral law and the May 15 parliament session.”
They said discussions on an electoral law, which tops the cabinet agenda could either be postponed, or discussed in a “similar rhetoric to the one lingering currently between political parties without the submission of solutions.”
The cabinet will meet on Thursday at the Baabda Palace to deliberate an electoral draft bill, ahead of an anticipated May 15 parliament session that is set to either “make-or-break” the polls' fate.
The parliament's session is set to extend its term for one year.
The extension is strongly rejected by the FPM, LF and the Kataeb party. Al-Mustaqbal Movement has also rejected the extension.
Rival political parties are still bickering over an electoral law format for the upcoming parliamentary polls despite numerous high-level meetings and consultations to reach consensus on a law to replace Lebanon's current 1960 majoritarian system.
Date: 03/05/2017
Source: http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/229421-report-high-anticipation-ahead-of-cabinet-meeting
