Prime Minister Saad Hariri Tuesday called on rival politicians to agree on a parliamentary election law and prioritize the interests of the Lebanese.
"No one wants [parliamentary] vacuum, from President [Michel Aoun] to [Speaker] Berri, to me,” Hariri said after meeting with Aoun at Baabda Palace. “Those who don’t want vacuum need to build on positive [matters] to create a new electoral law.”
He decried the "negative atmosphere" in Lebanon, accusing some parties of attempting to corner their rivals.
"This will be futile," Hariri said.
Politicians have reached "common ground" in their efforts to craft a new law to govern upcoming parliamentary elections, Hariri added.
"We still haven't reached a dead end," the PM said, adding that the Lebanese were "desperate."
"[They] want electricity, a vote law and water. They don't want to listen to politicians talking [aimlessly]. They want results."
He warned that the negative approach will not benefit anyone.
"People don't want to hear about vacuum and resignations. People want dignified lives and the youth want stability."
The premier advised all rivals to exert efforts in this regard and praised Berri's "sacrifices" in the electoral law debate.
Hariri was asked during a news conference if there was any hope for the ministerial committee to come to an agreement regarding a new electoral law.
"As I said before, if we can't implement a new electoral law during my tenure, then I will consider it a failure."
Hariri is set to chair a meeting Wednesday of an 11-member ministerial committee formed by the Cabinet last month. It is tasked with drafting a new electoral law to replace the controversial 1960 majoritarian system and set the stage for parliamentary elections, the first since 2009 after Parliament extended its mandate twice, once in 2013 and again in 2014.
"We are capable of reaching positive results. We will work day and night to reach the stage that we want."
The PM tweeted after his remarks to reporters that "Lebanon deserves unity for the sake of its national interests."
"Those who [politically] dominate their sect don't want the minority to be represented or a vocal political opposition visible," Aoun said at the meeting. "Some are afraid of a shift in balance of power."
The president added that the increased representation of Christians is not motivated by sectarianism.
"The goal is to achieve justice and equality," the president said.
Aoun said that one option was Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil's two-staged "qualification law", and that "we are open to other proposals that achieve these goals."
Several hybrid, proportional and sectarian-based electoral draft proposals – presented mainly by Bassil, the Progressive Socialist Party and recently Berri – failed to end the standoff over a new voting system.
Hariri is reportedly set to announce a new initiative.
Former Kataeb chief Amin Gemayel discussed later in the day with Berri the country's electoral law.
“We cannot understand the danger of leaving the country in the wind and putting the national Constitution aside,” Gemayel told Berri, expressing concern over the failure to reach a new law.
Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil, Lebanese Forces deputy chief George Adwan and Hariri's chief of staff also met Tuesday to push for further talks on the new vote law.
