Lebanese parliament meets for first time in months despite boycott over election law

Chamber narrowly reaches required quorum as members approve $250m World Bank loan for south

Speaker Nabih Berri's unwillingness to have MPs hear a contentious election law has prompted boycotts in Lebanon's parliament. NNA

Lebanon’s parliament convened on Thursday for the first time in months, narrowly achieving the quorum needed amid a boycott over Speaker Nabih Berri’s refusal to timetable discussion on a contentious election law.

But it still means that Lebanon is no closer to resolving a dispute that could ultimately contribute to next May's parliamentary elections being postponed.

Sixty-seven MPs attended the session, just above the threshold required to proceed. The Lebanese Forces, which holds the largest parliamentary bloc, and the Kataeb party abstained in protest among a handful of others.

They regard the current version of the electoral law as deeply unfair to the large Lebanese diaspora.

With expat voter registration already closed, Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab said after the session that if the diaspora were allowed to vote for all 128 MPs, rather than a special group of six, voter registration would have to be reopened and the election would thus be delayed.

While top Lebanese officials have repeatedly committed to hold the elections on time, there are private murmurs that a delay may be needed for there to be a political agreement on how it should be held.

During the session, legislators approved a $250 million loan agreement with the World Bank aimed at improving infrastructure in southern Lebanon. They also passed an amended version of a judiciary law.

LF leader Samir Geagea said on Wednesday that any MP who attended the session would give Mr Berri “a blank cheque”, whether intentionally or not.

Mr Berri, who is also the leader of Hezbollah-allied Amal Movement, had struggled since September to convene parliament. Previous sessions this autumn were aborted due to abstentions over his refusal to place on the agenda an amendment regarding diaspora voting. Mr Berri again declined to add the item, but the session went ahead as enough MPs attended to meet quorum.

A majority of parliamentarians are seeking to overturn a law that restricts voting by Lebanese living abroad to just six seats out of 128, instead of allowing them to vote for all MPs. Mr Berri and his allies, including Hezbollah, argue that diaspora campaigning restrictions make the current law equitable.

Some MPs who had previously boycotted sessions in protest attended on Thursday to ensure other parliamentary business could resume.

Among them was independent MP Yassin Yassin, who said he respected “the principles of parliamentary work” but said the diaspora law must be added to the agenda.