Berri Says Redistribution of Parliamentary Seats 'Unacceptable'

Speaker Nabih Berri emphasized that a proposal to reallocate Maronite seats from Muslim-majority to Christian-majority districts is completely “unacceptable,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

“We can never accept such a proposal and a major questions arises here: What is the purpose of this concept? Winds of division are blowing in the region and here we are amid these atmospheres going for a sectarian separation. This is totally unacceptable,” Berri told the daily.

The Speaker pointed out that the said law was initially discussed and approved in Bkirki without any reference to the reallocation of parliamentary seats.

“When MP George Adwan first suggested the law based on full proportional representation and 15 districts, we assured him that we will go along with this law which was discussed in Bkirki,” said Berri.

“But when we asked whether the reallocation of seats was also agreed, they said it was not. Why do they want to move seats now? asked Berri.

The political parties have agreed on a law based on full proportional representation and 15 districts but the FPM and the LF are reportedly demanding the reallocation of three Maronite seats from Muslim-majority districts to Christian-majority districts.

The FPM and the LF believe that moving a Maronite seat from Tripoli to Batroun, another from West Bekaa to Jbeil and another from Baalbek-Hermel to Bsharri would raise Christians' ability to elect MPs with their own votes to 50 out of 64 seats, media reports say.

Sources close to Adwan meanwhile reassured that “the issue of moving parliamentary seats will not lead to a problem, seeing as the foundations have been finalized and the law provides an acceptable share for everyone and relieves all parties.”