By yalibnan.com- Article slightly edited

Lebanon Speaker Nabih Berri declared on  Wednesday that he will not endorse any electoral law that “does not enjoy consensus.” “Contacts and discussions are still ongoing in a bid to
agree on a new electoral law and new ideas are being discussed,” MPs
Berri  was quoted as saying  by MPs during his weekly meeting with
lawmakers in Ain el-Tineh. “We are still in the phase of mulling proposals and we have not yet reached a dead end,” Berri added.

“We reiterate the need to apply unified standards (in the electoral law format) and I will not endorse any law that does not enjoy consensus,” the speaker went on to say. Berri’s AMAL Movement, Hezbollah, Future  Movement and the Free Patriotic Movement are holding meetings aimed at reaching a deal  on a new electoral law.

Taef accord compliance 

Responding to claims that the hybrid electoral law does
not not comply with   the Taef accord Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea
stressed on Wednesday that no one is trying to manipulate the Taef
accord, assuring that efforts exerted are merely focusing on finding a
new electoral  law,  National News Agency reported on Wednesday. Geagea expressed astonishment at the “latest talk about the Taef Accord. We like to remind that we were the first to pay the price, and will not accept any tampering with Taef.

“But it is worth noting that no one has such an
intention. There are strenuous efforts to reach a new electoral law
which in turn would reinstate the Taef Accord further,” said Geagea
during a celebration in Maarab. He called upon all political parties to focus on
approving a new electoral law to regulate political work in Lebanon,
considering that the “hybrid law is the only one that would bring all
parties together midway.”

He pointed out that the majority neither agreed
on the full proportional representation law nor on full winner takes
all law  , adding accordingly, the hybrid law ( which blends the 2 )
 has been the least rejected among all suggested drafts. Geagea underscored that he is  open to any suggestion that improves representation.

Meanwhile  Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid
Jumblatt called  for the implementation of the Taef Agreement and
slammed threats about vacuum at the parliament as “unconstitutional.” “Enough putting election draft laws that only divide
instead of unite, and violate the constitution,” said Jumblatt in a
tweet on Tuesday. “Implement the Taef,” he said, voicing calls upon
political parties to endorse a law for the upcoming parliamentary polls
in conformity with the 1989 Taef Accord.

The PSP categorically rejects a hybrid electoral law proposed by Free Patriotic Movement chief Gebran Bassil and all other proposals that contain proportional representation.The Democratic Gathering bloc of Jumblatt, has been
touring officials lately to make their position clear, the most recent
was a meeting with Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Tuesday.

After the meeting the conferees agreed that all discussions regarding the electoral law must conform with the 1989 Taef Accord. Jumblat added in his tweet: “Threats about vacuum at the
parliament,” shall officials fail to agree on a new law are
“unconstitutional.”

He was referring to a statement made by President Michel
Aoun, who said that if had to choose between extending the parliament’s
term or vacuum, he would choose vacuum.

A Kataeb party delegation held talks Wednesday in Maarab with Geagea.

The delegation consisted of former minister Alain Hakim, politburo member Albert Kostanian and former secretary-general Michel Khoury

“We discussed the proposed (hybrid electoral) law and
the possibility of introducing amendments to it in order to improve
parliamentary representation,” Hakim said after the meeting, The
proposed law was recently discussed in four-party meetings between the Free Patriotic Movement, al-Mustaqbal Movement, Hizbullah and AMAL Movement. It was reportedly proposed by FPM chief Jebran Bassil.

Asked whether  the Kataeb party  would endorse the draft Hakim said

“There are a lot of points of contention regarding the
hybrid law but we’re open to reaching a law that allows better
representation and pluralism,” Hakim added.

Hezbollah

Hezbollah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based
on proportional representation but other political parties, especially
the Future Movement, have rejected the proposal and argued that the
party’s controversial arsenal of arms would prevent serious competition
in regions where the Hezbollah has a stronghold.In 2013 Lebanese Forces
and The Future Movement backed by the PSP agreed on
a hybrid electoral law which calls for 54% of the MPs to be elected
under the majoritarian winner-takes-all system and 46 % under the
proportional representation system. This draft law was rejected by the
Hezbollah-led March 8 opposition.

Also in 2013 Future Movement leader PM Saad Hariri rejected the
electoral law that is based on proportional representation because there
will be competition in some regions

 On the other hand in the March 14
dominated areas several Hezbollah backed candidates won the election
that was based on winner take all . In a proportional representation
system Hezbollah will be able to gain more seats in the March 14
dominated areasbut will not lose any seats in its dominated areas as
long as it is allowed to keep its arms and use them internally for
political gain

According to analysts Hezbollah is trying to use Aoun to dominate Lebanon by insisting on adopting the proportional law in a single or several expanded electoral districts.

The country has not voted for a parliament since 2009, with the legislature instead twice extending its own mandate.

The 2009 polls were held under an amended version of the 1960 electoral law and the next elections are scheduled for May 2017.

According to media reports , Hezbollah chief
Hassan Nasrallah is expected to  address the issue in a televised
 speech in the next few days , al-Joumhouria daily reported on
Wednesday. No one reportedly knows exactly what he is going to say  .
Some speculating that he may insist on the proportional  based law,
others speculating that he may back Berri