The Lebanese cabinet approved Wednesday a new electoral law based on proportional representation and 15 electoral districts, replacing the winner-takes-all system for the first time in the country's history.
The cabinet also approved an 11-month technical extension of parliament's term until May 20, 2018, and stipulated that the elections should be held within the 60 days that precede the expiry of the legislature's term, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.
According to the NNA, Lebanon's President Michel Aoun congratulated the Lebanese at the beginning of the cabinet session on what he described as a "great achievement," noting that "the majority system did not secure just representation."
After approval, the law was sent to the parliament for ratification, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has scheduled a session next Friday.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri praised the new election law as a "historic achievement."
The agreement came days before the legislature's term end on June 20, avoiding a legislative void and a fresh political crisis.
Aoun and Hariri had held a closed-door meeting before the cabinet convened and discussed the rest of the law details. They were joined later by Interior Minister Nouhad Mashnouq.