Hizbullah, PSP: For Further Talks on Electoral Law, Protection of Lebanon from Syria Repercussions
Hizbullah and the Progressive Socialist Party have agreed on the need for further discussions among the various parties over the electoral law that will govern the 2013 parliamentary vote, and on the need to “protect Lebanon from the repercussions of the Syrian crisis,” a top Hizbullah official told al-Manar television on Friday, following a dinner banquet that gathered the two parties overnight Thursday.
The dinner was held at the house of Hizbullah Minister Hussein al-Hajj Hassan and attended by Hizbullah Minister Mohammed Fneish, member of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Hassan Fadlallah and Hizbullah top official Wafiq Safa.
As to the PSP representatives, they included Ministers Ghazi Aridi and Wael Abou Faour, and MP Akram Shehayyeb.
“This is the third meeting between the two parties and it is part of the routine contacts between the two sides,” the Hizbullah source told al-Manar.
“There is disagreement over the approach towards the Syrian crisis,” the source said, but noted that the conferees stressed “the need to agree on an electoral law that would be the most representative of all parties and on the need to keep the current government and activate its work.”
PSP leader MP Walid Jumblat hinted on Friday that members of his parliamentary bloc would reject a partial settlement to the controversial extra-budgetary spending if the issue was discussed at parliament again.
In remarks to As Safir daily, Jumblat said: “We have previously said that we reject partial solutions and settlements.”
He made his statement in response to a question if his MPs would guarantee a quorum if Speaker Nabih Berri called for a session to discuss the $5.9 billion draft-law.
The parliament has previously failed to approve it after MPs from both the March 14 opposition and Jumblat’s National Struggle Front bloc blocked it over demands to include the spending of the governments of ex-PMs Fouad Saniora and Saad Hariri in the settlement.
But the March 8 ministers led by Hizbullah, AMAL Movement and the Free Patriotic Movement are pressuring President Michel Suleiman to sign it based on article 58 of the constitution to avoid another parliamentary setback.
Source: Naharnet
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://cdn.naharnet.com/stories/en/39921 |