Riachi: Decision Settled, No Return to 1960 Law

Lebanese Forces Information Minister Melhem Riachi stressed on Saturday that the controversial 1960 election law will not be endorsed once again, and added that the hybrid election law system is emerging as the most preferable by political parties.

“It is definite. There will be no return to the 1960 law. The hybrid election law is the most favorable by political parties now,” Riachi said in an interview on LBCI TV station.

On the four-party meeting that was held for two consecutive days between political parties other than the LF, Riachi said: “We were not invited to the meeting. But we will be briefed with the discussions that took place.”

He continued saying that the hybrid law, which mixes proportional representation with the winner-takes-all systems, “is garnering consensus among the Lebanese. Discussions are focusing on combining the proportional with the majoritarian without injustice to anyone.”

The political parties have intensified their efforts in recent days in a bid to agree on a new electoral law before the expiry of the deadlines.

They are discussing several formats of a so-called “hybrid” electoral law that combines the proportional representation and winner-takes-all systems.

One of the main obstacles is the Progressive Socialist Party's rejection of proportional representation. The party has warned that any law containing proportional representation would “marginalize” the minority Druze community.

Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but other political parties, especially Mustaqbal and the PSP, have rejected the proposal, arguing that Hizbullah's weapons would prevent serious competition in the Iran-backed party's strongholds.

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.