Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil warned Tuesday that rejecting a proportional representation system that allows political minorities to be represented in the political system would lead the country into “civil war and disintegration.”
“Whoever rejects proportional representation would be rejecting the other and the right to diversity, and whoever rejects the right to diversity would be leading the country into civil war and disintegration,” said Bassil during the FPM’s annual dinner.
“That’s why we have endorsed proportional representation in the FPM and are demanding it for the country,” he added.
“We are proud that we are a popular majority that is demanding proportional representation, and we’re being subjected to blackmail and political enticing for the sake of some parliamentary seats but we won’t back down,” Bassil went on to say.
He added: “We want to eliminate corruption, feudalism and monopolization, that’s why we want proportional representation, even if it comes at our expense.”
Bassil had on Monday proposed an electoral law format under which 64 MPs would be elected according to the proportional representation system in five electorates whereas the other 64 would be elected by their respective sects under a winner-takes-all system in 14 electorates.
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.
