Geagea Says Postponement of 2013 Elections Out of Question
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea revealed on Thursday that his party is expected to submit a proposal before the joint parliamentary committees concerning the new electoral law, reiterating that the postponement of the 2013 parliamentary elections is out of the question.
“We have been preparing a new electoral law to forward it (to parliament) with our allies,” Geagea said in comments published in al-Akhbar newspaper.
Later on Thursday, Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan, Phalange party lawmaker Sami Gemayel, and Butros Harb, another March 14 MP, referred the new proposal of the opposition to parliament's secretariat.
Geagea pointed out that the LF reached an accord with the Phalange party and independents in the March 14 camp, saying discussions are ongoing with the remaining allies.
On the joint parliamentary committees meeting, which will discuss the draft law adopted by the cabinet on the new electoral draft law and a proposal by the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc, Geagea said that Thursday's meeting is “a preliminary discussion... We will not back down on presenting our proposal to be discussed later on.”
The government’s draft-law is based on proportional representation and 13 electoral districts.
The joint parliamentary committees are expected to discuss during a session on Thursday the two electoral law proposals.
The LF leader criticized a proposal by Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc, saying “it was proposed only for political outbidding.”
“Any serious draft law should be supported by 30 or 50 MPs,” Geagea pointed out, stating that those who presented it already support the draft law adopted by the cabinet.
Change and Reform MPs Alain Aoun and Nehmatallah Abi Nasr's proposal states that every sect would elect its own lawmakers based on proportional representation and Lebanon as a single district.
Geagea ruled out any serious discussion concerning the electoral draft law before the LF present their proposal which is based on smaller electoral districts.
“The LF proposal was based on adopting 60 electoral districts, however, after addressing the matter with our allies, we agreed to adopt 50 districts, which gives the same desired results,” Geagea noted.
He said that his party is seeking to achieve equality between the Lebanese.
Asked about the stance of al-Mustaqbal movement regarding his party's proposal, Geagea said it agreed on it but “discussions are on going over minor details.”
He said that the March 14 camp is also discussing the matter with the Progressive Socialist Party, led by MP Walid Jumblat, via Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour.
“We never suspended dialogue with them,” Geagea stated.
Concerning the fate of the Bkirki committee, formed under the auspices of Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi to draft a law that guarantees the best representation for Christians, Geagea said that his party will attend any meeting that the patriarch calls for.
“The rest are free... We will not boycott it,” he added.
He stressed that all parties reject the adoption of a draft law based on the 1960 law, ruling out the postponement of the 2013 parliamentary elections.
“We have to reach an agreement,” Geagea said.
27 September 2012, 09:37
910
Karim Geagea is far better than your leader @ least Geagea always talks about Lebanon ,unlike Hasan the Syrian lover .I have said this before Geagea made mistakes in the past and he paid for it ,and I would rather Geagea deals with KSA instead of that backwards country called satanic Iran..
27 September 2012, 12:03
76
FT if the US wants to braek Iran it will only take few hours ,buddy Iran is weak as piss,the only person that needs education is you dude for saying Iran is a country of freedom,if Iran hates Israel why did they buy weapons from Israel to Fight Iraq .Your first lesson in education should be a subject called (Iran Contra)let me know how you go reading about your beloved country Iran..
27 September 2012, 12:20
74
Slash and arzak-ya-libnan we are wasting our time in trying getting some sense into FT .Iran now is a great country I wonder if FT would like to live there and enjoy the freedom on offer..
27 September 2012, 13:32
64
Dear FT... it's always the same broken record and lame defense lines...
The relationship between Iran/Hezbollah/Aoun is way different and not comparable to KSA/Mustaqbal/LF.
First of all, there is an ideology which determines the political path dictated to Hezbollah by Iran. Even more, there is the hatred towards Israel that dictates a lot of the tactical stances of Iran thus Hezbollah.The Hezb is an instrument of the Iranian regime because it has been conditioned to depend upon the financial aid they receive from Iran. The southern parts of Lebanon have always been poor and the shiaa neglected until they found a strong ally to depend upon. The day they give back their weapons, they will also have to put an X on the Iranian financial aid, and with Bashar gone...
27 September 2012, 13:33
74
This is not comparable to the Sunnis and the KSA. Surely, KSA provides help (not only to the sunnis, by the way, who was the biggest contributor to the 2006 reconstruction) as well as the USA, Koweit, Japan, or any other helping country, but not in exchange for an ideology. Moreover, the Iranian regime sends weapons, logistics, and trainers in order for hezbollah to do their dirty task and maintain somehow a threat on the Israeli Northern border.
Now, Michel Aoun, we know now his story, and under which conditions he came back to Lebanon. I think at first, everyone was happy from his come back, and Geagea getting out of prison, and the Syrians leaving our dear country. They got out from the door, and people like Aoun brought them back from the window! His alliance with Hezbollah only serves electoral purposes. He would have been elected nowhere during the last elections if it wasn't for his electoral alliance.
27 September 2012, 13:33
74
But Aoun has nothing to do with the Iranian ideology, still, he plays it's game to serve his purpose, which he will do at any cost and affect the Christian sect sooner or later. On this particular point, I think that Geagea ant the FL can nowhere be compared to Aoun. Also, Geagea who was a terrible man during the war came out of jail changed and matured. I find his speeches to be reasonable, patriotic, democratic, and full of sense unlike GMA.
Just sit back and compare the KSA influence in Lebanon to the Iranian influence. Look at the Hezbollah people...how they dress, how they shave their beards(or not shave), how they radicalize themselves (sour alcohol related incidents for example) etc...
We have the chance that Hariri (and he is plenty of flaws) is a moderate and a modern man. Keep attacking him, and keep pushing him out, and one day, a radical will come and take his place, and then it will be too late...
27 September 2012, 15:47
03
FYI Iran has a 30% unimployment rate... one of the world's highest!
27 September 2012, 15:53
00
As has been experienced with Dr. Leaderatto di Retardes and his predictions, the translation means that the elections WILL BE postponed. min addak ya 7ak....awati sakhif?
27 September 2012, 23:40
00
@FlameThrower
Truly you do not really believe the uprising is dragging on because a majority of Syrians support Assad. I think you are smarter than that and you know that that is not true. It is because a minority Alawite sect was led to believe that if they stop fighting (and it is mainly the Alawite division that is really engaging along with the Alawite shabbiha) they will be massacred by the Sunnis. Furthermore, the Alawite army division has the upper hand with planes, arms and ammunition etc.
The question you should be asking is how is it that with all that power and arms they have not been able to put down the uprising by force. That they were not able to do so is a testament to the popularity and resilience of this uprising. If it were not for massive popular support it could not have persisted.
@arzak-ya-libnan
Nice rebuttal and nicer avatar as well ;-) No need to get emotional though in the end we all are living in the same country.
