Berri Voices Support to Any Electoral Law if Consensus Reached

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Wednesday that he is exerting efforts and contacts with Lebanese foes to reach a convenient electoral law that is compatible with the Taef accord, local newspapers reported.

“If I reach a result, then I will refer it to the electoral subcommittee,” Berri said.

He pointed out that he will voice his support to any solution reached by the electoral subcommittee, which was formed to study the disputed issues concerning the electoral draft law amid sharp difference among the political foes over the matter.

The committee will be headed by deputy Speaker Farid Makari and another nine MPs divided evenly between the March 14 alliance and the March 8 camp in addition to a lawmaker representing the Democratic Gathering bloc.

The government approved in August a parliamentary electoral law based on proportional representation and 13 electoral districts, however, the opposition's proposal made by MPs George Adwan, Sami Gemayel and Butros Harb supports the formation of 50 small-sized districts in a winner-takes-all system, while a plan suggested by the Change and Reform bloc allows every sect to elect its own MPs under a proportional representation system with Lebanon as a single district.

On Tuesday's meeting between him and head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Fouad Saniora, Berri said that it focused on the importance of disassociating Lebanon from the turmoil in neighboring Syria.

The government decided to disassociate itself from the revolt against President Bashar Assad, which kicked off in 2011, to preserve stability in Lebanon.

Concerning the security plan that the army is expected to carry out in the Bekaa that is aimed at combating lawlessness in the region, Berri said that the military is the only authority concerned with setting the “zero hour” for the plan.

Increasing crime, thefts and abductions in the Bekaa have intensified in the past year, although the state institutions have launched a number of campaigns to combat the trend.

The army recently launched a crackdown on assailants in Beirut's southern suburbs and several other areas in an attempt to halt a kidnapping spree of several businessmen and numerous bank robberies.