Justice Ministry looks to drafting new electoral law Qabbani says goal is real representation Daily Star , May 23, 2005 BEIRUT: The Justice …

The General and The Particular By Nahla Atiyah , May 23, 2005 Zone A in Rabieh on the northern hills of Beirut is …

Aoun-Jumblatt alliance unlikely in Lebanon polls

By Majdoline Hatoum
Daily Star , May 23, 2005

BEIRUT: With less than a week left to go before the start of the first leg of Lebanon's Parliamentary elections, the electoral alliance between leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) Michel Aoun and leader of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) Walid Jumblatt appears to have disintegrated into shambles.

But the possibility of an alliance between Aoun's FPM and Saad Hariri, head of the Future Movement and Jumblatt's staunchest political ally, remained strong with reports that a coalition might be formed between the two parties in North Lebanon.

Aoun, who formally announced he will be running in the elections, said Sunday: "We will continuediscussions with Hariri even if talks have ended with Jumblatt."

Meanwhile, Speaker Nabih Berri called on all Lebanese political factions to hold an internal discussion aimed at building "Lebanese unity," adding that sectarianism has driven the Lebanese apart.

Lebanese Agree Election Law Needs Reform: UN Envoy

May 22 , 2005

BEIRUT (Reuters) -- Lebanese politicians agree that electoral reform must be a priority after Lebanon holds its first parliamentary polls for three decades without Syrian troops in the country, a U.N. election expert said on Sunday.

Lebanese go to the polls in four rounds of voting from May 29 to June 19 under a widely criticised law designed to maximise the influence of pro-Syrian politicians in the 2000 elections.

"If there's one area of consensus, it's obviously that the 2000 law has flaws and also that the electoral law needs to be discussed immediately after the elections," Carina Perelli, head of the U.N. elections unit, told Reuters in an interview.

Many Lebanese believe their politicians will simply go back to business as usual once the election is over and quietly forget their promises of reform made after protests by hundreds of thousands of people helped force the Syrian withdrawal.