Lebanon Interior Minister says will submit a proportional-representation based law
BEIRUT - Interior Minister Marwan Charbel announced Tuesday he will submit a bill on an electoral law based on a proportional representation system.
“I will present an electoral law based on proportional representation toward the end of September,” Charbel told reporters after meeting Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Naim Hasan at the Druze House Foundation in Beirut.
Regarding the long-awaited appointments to key security posts, Charbel stressed that the candidate selection will be based on “qualifications” and not on political association.
Many Lebanese political parties argue that proportional representation would ensure the best representation of all groups.
Charbel has formed a committee to draft an electoral law, promising to take into consideration reforms previously put forward, including proportional representation.
The Interior Ministry said the committee will meet periodically.
The move, which is in line with the policy statement of Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s Cabinet, comes under the instructions of President Michel Sleiman.
Mikati’s policy statement stipulated that the law should correspond to the ambitions of the Lebanese to have proportional representation and called for accelerating the process so that the law would be ready at least one year prior to elections.
Next parliamentary elections are scheduled in mid-2013.
During the Committee’s first meeting, Charbel highlighted the importance of elections and reforms to the electoral law, saying that the building of a state hinged on having a modern electoral law. -DailyStar
