Bassil Says MPs Must Enjoy Their Communities Support, 'No Stability' without New Electoral Law

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Tuesday stressed that the members of parliament must truly be representative of their religious communities, while warning that the country can know no stability without the approval of a new electoral law.

“In terms of conforming to the National Pact, the presidential vote battle cannot be separated from the parliamentary elections battle. The same as the president is strong, the MP who wants to represent the Lebanese should also be strong in his community,” said Bassil after the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform bloc in Rabieh.

“We are facing an attempt to tarnish our image,” added Bassil, after his latest electoral law proposal was dismissed as “sectarian” and “divisive” by several political parties.

“We are demanding equal power-sharing between Christians and Muslims and we are not encroaching on anyone's rights,” he went on to say.

Bassil emphasized that the FPM's only choice is to reach a new electoral law, adding that he wants to “expose” the intentions of the other parties.

“We are convinced that there can be no stability without a new electoral law and we believe that our representation is not correct,” Bassil said.

Noting that “there is no approval of full proportional representation” in the country, the FPM chief pointed out that “the electoral law requires consensus and a settlement.”

“We are seeking to restore respect for the National Pact and to correct representation, partnership and our role,” Bassil explained.

He also reassured that Lebanon will eventually get a new electoral law and that there will be no return to extending parliament's term, the controversial 1960 electoral law or parliamentary vacuum.

Al-Akhbar newspaper reported Tuesday that Bassil's latest electoral proposal has been shelved due to the objections of several political forces including allies of the FPM such as the Lebanese Forces and al-Mustaqbal Movement.

Bassil's hybrid, two-round electoral system had been initially rejected by Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat and the LF, and on Tuesday MP Ammar Houri of al-Mustaqbal bloc said “Bassil's suggestion with its sectarian voting round cannot pass and it is distant from the spirit of the Taef Accord and the constitution.”

Bassil's format prevents voters from voting for candidates from other sects in the first round and divides Lebanon into 26 districts. The second round involves a non-sectarian proportional representation system and 10 larger districts.