Lebanon Speaker Nabih Berri has emphasized that all electoral laws in Lebanon will be based on full proportional representation in the future should parliament extend its own term for a third time during Thursday’s legislative session.

“The country faces a test on Thursday and it will either be honored or insulted… This extension is necessary and it is in the country’s interest. This session is aimed at motivating them and it represents the last attempt to reach an electoral law,” local newspapers quoted Berri as saying in remarks published Wednesday.

“Should this law be reached in the next 48 hours, the matter will become very easy: I would merge the (extension) draft law submitted by MP (Nicolas) Fattoush with the draft law that the government reaches and it would be deemed a proposal for a technical extension,” Berri added.

“After this extension, all electoral laws in Lebanon will be based on full proportional representation,” the speaker underlined.

“There is a proverb that says that a bad ruler is better than no ruler at all. Should parliament cease to exist, the country will have no more governance or authorities and vacuum would destroy the country,” Berri warned.

Source: Naharnet