Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi expressed hope on Sunday that there would be consensus among the Lebanese on a fair electoral law and on the formation of the new government. “I hope that the coming days would bring consensus on a new electoral law that is fair … and guarantees for all the citizens the best representation in parliament,” said al-Rahi in his sermon during a mass attended by Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun and members of his Change and Reform bloc.

The patriarch rejects the 1960 law which considers the qada an electoral district and is based on the winner-takes-all system. The law is considered not to provide a good representation for Christians. Al-Rahi also hoped for consensus on “the type” of the government and its formation, a day after MP Tammam Salam was tasked with forming the new cabinet. [Link]