Parliamentary Sub-Commission reviews the women quota and refuses to endorse it

The Parliamentary Sub-Commission for Administration and Justice entrusted with the review of the electoral law met yesterday and was presided by MP Nawwar al Sa7hili and with the participation of its MP members in addition to the representative of the Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Ziad Ayub, the representative of the NCLW, Fadia Kiwan, the representative of the Arab Centre for Development, Chantal Sarkis in addition to Khulood Kassem, representing the Lebanese Mothers Association and Joelle Abu Far7hat and Paola Majdalini representing Women in Front.  The Commission listened to the views and comments of women organizations regarding the women quota but declined to endorse it in the absence of a prior agreement on the final form of the electoral law and the divisions of the various conscriptions.

On a related vein, Al Mustaqbal newspaper noted in its issue of today that various CSOs presented a written study in which they outline the distribution of women according to circumscriptions.  As such, if the system will adopt the proportional representation system, then the women quota will be 30% and for reserved seats.  If the adopted system is that of the majority rule, then the same quota will be divided by half into reserved and elected seats.  In case of a mixed system, then the electoral lists should be arranged in such a way that women’s access to parliament will be guaranteed.

 

(Source: Al-Mustqbal 27 January, 2015)