Berri: I Will Go ahead with Christian Agreement on New Electoral Law
Speaker Nabih Berri stressed that he refuses to make any political maneuvers against his partners in Lebanon regarding the new parliamentary electoral law, reported the daily An Nahar on Monday.
He told the daily: “I will go ahead with an agreement reached by Christians over a new law.”
He renewed however his rejection of a law based on 50 electoral districts, reiterating his support for the transformation of Lebanon as a single electoral district.
He will go ahead with the Christians agreement even if he disapproves of the distribution of districts and even if they do not adopt proportional representation, reported the daily.
Christians make up half of the country and so there should be no problem in supporting their electoral law proposal, Berri remarked.
He revealed that he had approved the adoption of the amended 1960 law during the 2009 parliamentary elections after Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun had advocated it.
“Let them try me even though they know the AMAL movement backs the idea of the adoption of Lebanon as a single district,” continued the speaker.
All these actions should take place in accordance with the Taef accord, he stressed.
He told al-Joumhouria in remarks published on Monday that the electoral law should be adopted as soon as possible in order to avoid any obstacles that may spring up.
“The new law should be approved soon in order for us to have ample time to prepare of the elections” that are set for 2013, Berri added.
The constitution does not stipulate that there should be a deadline for its approval at parliament, but all concerned sides must act quickly to approve it, he clarified.
The government approved in August an draft electoral law based on proportional representation and 13 districts.
The opposition and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat have both voiced their rejection of the proposal.
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