02 June 2017•Update: 02 June 2017
By Charbel Abboud
BEIRUT
Lebanese President Michel Aoun issued a presidential decree late Thursday calling on lawmakers to convene for a 13-day period during which a draft parliamentary election law might be discussed and put to a vote.
The decree calls on MPs to convene from June 7 to 20 so that they might discuss -- and eventually vote on -- the draft legislation.
Aoun issued his decree following the conclusion of the last parliamentary term, which ended May 31.
According to Lebanon’s constitution, the assembly cannot convene once a parliamentary term expires unless it is expressly instructed to do so by the president.
Aoun also urged lawmakers to approve the bill, which, he said, would improve parliament’s ability to represent the will of the public.
The draft legislation remains the subject of controversy in Lebanon.
While Hezbollah favors a proportional system for parliamentary elections, Lebanon’s Progressive Socialist Party, led by Walid Jumblatt, supports a mixed system.
According to the 1989 Taif Accord between Lebanon’s warring camps, which ended the country’s 15-year civil war, parliamentary polls must ensure fair representation of all segments of Lebanese society.
