BEIRUT: The Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition and the Free Patriotic Movement will reject any draft law for the coming parliamentary elections if it is not based on proportional representation, Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad said Sunday.
“We in March 8 and the FPM are not willing to approve any law that does not endorse proportional representation,” said Fayad.
The Hezbollah lawmaker also said his group is against an electoral law that combines proportional representation and a winner-takes-all system.
“We recorded substantial complaints over the Fouad Boutros law, so how can we agree on such proposals?” asked Fayad.
The last round of talks of the subcommittee discussing electoral proposals for the coming elections focused on a system that combines proportional representation and a winner-takes-all system, similar to the electoral proposal from former Minister Fouad Butros, as well as the possibility of applying the Orthodox Gathering proposal based on a majority system.
Fayad said that the Christian voters have concerns over choosing the right candidates, arguing that proportional representation is the only way to secure real parliamentary representation for Christians.
“There is no way to improve the conditions of Christian voters unless through adopting proportional representation,” said Fayad.
Meanwhile, Kataeb MP Sami Gemayel warned Sunday against proportional representation, arguing that it contradicts Muslim-Christian equal sharing in the country.
“Proportional representation contradicts with [Muslim-Christian] equal sharing in the country,” said Gemayel.
He added that his party approved proportional representation within the Orthodox gathering proposal, which stipulates each sect elects its own under a system of proportional representation with Lebanon as a single district, because such proposal secures Muslim-Christian equal sharing.
“We only approved proportional representation within the Orthodox gathering proposal because such proposal secures equal sharing,” said Gemayel.
Gemayel added that proportional representation would undermine the representation of minorities in the country.
“This is an elimination of an aspect of the diversity and the culture of Lebanon,” he said.