Talks to resume on Lebanese electoral law

Saad Hariri, the leader of March 14 Alliance a...

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Lebanese March 14 coalition resumes talks with rival politicians on a new electoral law, under which the 2013 elections would be held. 

"After the attendees [of a meeting of opposition lawmakers] agreed to resume the work of the committee tasked with studying a new elections law ... they voiced the committee MP's willingness to temporarily stay in a hotel within Parliament's security perimiter," Future Movement MP Samir Jisr said on December 24.

The announcement came after weeks of negotiations between the opposition and Parliament speaker Nahib Berri to resume the talks. The sides have not met since October 2012 after opposition lawmakers boycotted legislative subcommittees, including the one dealing with electoral proposals to replace the 1960 law based on the winner-takes-all system. 

The March 14 alliance, which is a coalition of political parties and independents united by their anti-Syrian regime stance, has opposed postponing the elections held in 2013 and called for a law that "genuinely represents the people". 

"Any delay to the elections represents a seizure of power and allows those in control with arms to continue seizing power indefinitely, which would violate the rules of national partnership,” said Jisr, who also called for the formation of neutral governments to oversee the parliamentary elections.