Jumblat Rejects Opposition's Small Electoral Districts, Says 'No One Consulted Us'
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat criticized the March 14 opposition on Thursday for not consulting him on a new law drafted by the coalition's Christians in coordination with al-Mustaqbal movement.
“No one consulted us on either big or small-sized districts,” he told local newspapers.
The March 14 opposition Christians reached an agreement with al-Mustaqbal on a plan to divide Lebanon into 50 small-sized districts based on a winner-takes-all system and referred it to parliament on Thursday.
Jumblat has already rejected another electoral draft-law approved by the government that divides Lebanon into 13 medium-sized districts based on a proportional representation system.
Asked if rejects the adoption of small districts, Jumblat quipped: “The issue needs more discussion and if we continue (to act) this way, then let each Lebanese elect his own lawmaker.”
He reiterated that the only solution was the adoption of the 1960 electoral law which adopts the qada as an electoral district in a winner-takes-all system.
Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour also denied media reports that the opposition was seeking to garner the support of the centrist PSP on the new electoral draft-law.
“No one knocked on Jumblat's door to discuss the electoral issue,” Abou Faour, who is loyal to the PSP leader, told al-Akhbar daily.
He ruled out the support of Jumblat's National Struggle Front for a draft-law that divides Lebanon into 50 districts, which Abou Faour said consolidates sectarian divisions in the country.
The minister revealed that talks between the PSP and al-Mustaqbal movement on the elections are in their preliminary stages.
Speaker Nabih Berri also criticized the proposal of the opposition's Christians, saying the small districts would further cause fragmentation in the country.
But “let the issue take its course in the joint (parliamentary) committees,” he said.
The committees met on Thursday to discuss the government's draft-law that divides Lebanon into 13 districts. They would later tackle the new draft-law of the opposition.
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