MP Hani Qobeissi of AMAL Movement’s Development and Liberation bloc warned Sunday that Lebanon will be plunged into “vacuum” and “chaos” should the political parties fail to agree on a new electoral law.
“Vacuum means chaos,” Qobeissi cautioned, urging all parties to “shoulder the responsibility and offer concessions in order to reach a fair electoral law that represents everyone and achieves partnership.”
“The approach of monopolization cannot rescue the country,” the lawmaker warned, adding that “only partnership can preserve national unity.”
AMAL leader and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has stressed that “protecting Lebanon and preserving diversity in the Lebanese formula can only be realized through passing a new electoral law based on proportional representation.”
The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and the legislature has instead twice extended its own mandate. The last polls were held under an amended version of the 1960 electoral law and the next vote is scheduled for May.
Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but al-Mustaqbal Movement and Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat have both rejected the proposal.
Mustaqbal argues that Hizbullah’s arms would prevent serious competition in the party’s strongholds while Jumblat 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.
