Lebanon's cabinet convenes to discuss draft electoral law

Lebanon's Cabinet convened Monday at Baabda Palace to discuss a draft electoral law based on proportional representation. The draft law, presented by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, would allow expatriates to vote. Cabinet will also discuss an amendment to the draft law forwarded by Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour that calls for enabling expatriates to use Internet voting. Mansour also proposed the election of expat MPs. Ministerial sources told The Daily Star Sunday that Cabinet could continue discussing the draft law in a session Tuesday if it does not finish it Monday. Prior to the Cabinet session, the National News Agency quoted Charbel as saying that the aim of Monday's session was to finalize discussion on the draft law and approve it. "The direction is to approve it via consensus or voting and discussion will focus on the issue of districts," Chabel told reporters. The Progressive Socialist Party has voiced concern and disapproval over an electoral law based on proportional representation saying it would serve a blow for the party's representation in Parliament. Speaking to reporters before the session, Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour, member of the PSP bloc, said the party would voice objection to the presented draft law. "The president insist on finalizing the draft law [in this session] to be referred to Parliament where it will be subject to the political guillotine," the minister said. From:The daily star