Parliament Approves Half of the Election Law
Parliament approved 57 clauses of the new election law, including allowing heads of municipal councils to run for legislative seats and banning military personnel from voting.
Deliberations are to resume on Monday to tackle the remaining 61 clauses of the 118-item bill that would regulate general elections that are initially scheduled for May, 2009.
By banning military personnel from voting and allowing municipal heads to run for elections provided they resign from their posts six months ahead of balloting, the house dealt a blow to Gen. Michel Aoun”s Free Patriotic Movement.
An amendment allowing military personnel to vote, proposed by Aoun”s Change and Reform bloc and its allies, was backed only by 38 of the 128 MPs.
The compromise on municipal councils, allowed heads of village municipalities to run for general elections if they resign six months ahead of balloting date, while maintained a two-year advance resignation condition for heads of municipal council in major towns, cities and provincial capitals.
The Hizbullah-led alliance, grouping Aoun”s bloc and AMAL MPs, had backed a clause allowing military personnel to vote in the general elections, but the majority opposed the trend and the clause was rejected.
Democratic Gathering leader Walid Jumblat led the opposition to allowing military personnel to vote, saying the military establishment should remain "neutral."