Geagea: FPM Only Wants to Harm Jumblat, Mustaqbal, instead of Seeking Christian Electoral Interests
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stated on Friday that the government proposal over the parliamentary electoral law and the one suggested by the MPs Georges Adwan, Sami Gemayel, and Butros Harb are the best current offers on the matter, saying that the Free Patriotic Movement has to choose one of them.
He said during a press conference: “The FPM however is more concerned with harming the interests of the Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat and the Mustaqbal Movement to take into consideration Christian concerns in the elections.”
He said that the FPM is currently in a position of power where it holds sway over which law can be adopted.
The LF leader also voiced his opposition to the 1960 electoral law, which he said is “very unjust.”
“All sides must realize that there can be no return to the 1960 law,” stressed Geagea.
Adwan, Gemayel, and Harb had proposed on Thursday a draft electoral law based on 50 electoral districts.
The opposition has asserted that this law offers Christians with the best representation, adding that it enjoys Bkirki's implicit approval.
The government approved in August an electoral law based on proportional representation and 13 districts.
“Any new law should achieve proper representation and the proposal we made guarantees that a majority of MPs would be elected, as stipulated by the Taef accord,” continued Geagea.
“We are seeking a law that achieves the best representation and does not harm the interests of Hizbullah or AMAL,” he added.
On claims that the March 14 proposal only bolsters sectarianism, he asked: “Does the election of Walid Sukkariyeh, Emile Rahmeh, and Oqab Saqr bolster sectarianism?”
“The adoption of smaller districts weakens sectarianism,” he stressed.
In addition, he noted that smaller districts allow candidates of relatively modest means to run in the parliamentary elections, which are set for 2013.
A draft law based on small districts ensures the election of 56 or 57 Christian MPs, while the government proposal allows the election of 46 or 47 lawmakers.
Jumblat has not completely closed the door on discussions over small districts, Geagea revealed.
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28 September 2012, 17:11
Geagea: Why would the FPM reject small electoral districts?
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28 September 2012, 17:09
Geagea: Bkirki gave a ten-day deadline to reach an agreement on small districts. An agreement will inevitably be reached on a new electoral law. We will not return to the 1960 law.
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28 September 2012, 17:07
Geagea: Based on the latest discussions, it appears that Bkirki supports small districts, but it is up to it to clarify its position.
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28 September 2012, 17:06
Geagea: The FPM would achieve a majority if it agrees on the law based on small districts.
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28 September 2012, 17:06
Geagea: The FPM must choose between the government proposal or the one on small districts.
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28 September 2012, 17:05
Geagea: Jumblat has voiced his support for the 1960 law, but he has not completely closed the door on discussions on other draft laws.
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28 September 2012, 17:05
Geagea: The Orthodox Gathering proposal is no longer being discussed and no one even supports it, while the two other proposals are backed by 55 or more lawmakers.
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28 September 2012, 17:03
Geagea: Our proposal of smaller districts allows better representation for Christians through the election of 56 or 57 MPs, while the government proposal allows the election of 46 or 47 MPs.
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28 September 2012, 17:02
Geagea: Two serious electoral draft laws have been proposed, the government's and ours.
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28 September 2012, 17:01
Geagea: The majority in a small district can vote according to its convictions.
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28 September 2012, 17:00
Geagea: Smaller districts allow candidates of modest means to run in the elections.
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28 September 2012, 16:59
Geagea: Has any extremist come from Bsharre or al-Dinniyeh? Extremist MPs are elected through the mixed districts.
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28 September 2012, 16:56
Geagea: The adoption of smaller districts weakens sectarianism.
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28 September 2012, 16:55
Geagea on claims that the proposal of the Christian members of the March 14 camp fuels sectarianism: Does the election of Walid Sukarriyeh, Emile Rahmeh, and Oqab Saqr fuel sectarianism?
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28 September 2012, 16:53
Geagea: Some sides said that our draft law contradicts the Taef accord. If so, then 80 percent of proposals contradict the Taef accord.
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28 September 2012, 16:52
Geagea: It seems as if the FPM is seeking to target the Mustaqbal Movement and Jumblat instead of achieving proper Christian representation.
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28 September 2012, 16:52
Geagea: We are seeking a law that achieves proper representation and not one that targets Hizbullah and AMAL and bolsters the Mustaqbal Movement and MP Walid Jumblat.
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28 September 2012, 16:50
Geagea: Expatriates should not have their own seats because that implies that they have their own country besides Lebanon, when in fact they must be concerned with the affairs of their country.
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28 September 2012, 16:48
Geagea on expatriates voting in 2013 elections: The Foreign Ministry should begin distributing ballot boxes abroad. The FPM ministers should at least consider working to this end.
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28 September 2012, 16:47
Geagea: Any new electoral law should be aimed at achieving proper representation. The draft law we proposed guarantees that the majority of MPs would be elected in a manner that adheres to the Taef accord.
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28 September 2012, 16:45
LF leader Samir Geagea during press conference on electoral law: We cannot return to the 1960 law because it is very unjust.
28 September 2012, 17:19
35
Geagea and other Christian parties just don't get it. They shouldn't be fighting for Christian representation but rather Lebanese representation in government.
All of our problems and obstacles relate back to the sectarian political system, and as long as this doesn't change, no electoral law, no removal of weapons, and no type of resistance against Israel will do any good to Lebanon. We must tackle the root problem of all our obstacles, and that is sectarianism.
Unfortunately, not one major party is advocating this, hence why I refuse to vote.
28 September 2012, 19:06
26
hahahaha! always criticizing others when they post against your orangina saying that its a pavlovian reflex but it seems you are no better!!!
trying to pretend to understand everything but doing the exact same thing you deny the others! ROFLMAO!
28 September 2012, 19:11
12
this country is really in the third world with people encouraging it...
the proof: every election they fight for a new electoral law!
but never do they fight to find jobs for the average citizen or finding measures to lower and regulate prices! or ...or ... every thing that is concerning the real basic needs of the citizens, they never fight for it... just fight for their privileges: all of them!
a law that means nothing as they ll vote for irresonsible politicians whatever the law, not even worth paying attention to....
28 September 2012, 19:55
12
All of what you said (which is very accurate)is result of sectarian system.
28 September 2012, 20:21
12
they :is the politicians AND the people who are fatalists and do nothing but whine...M8 or M14 ( i m not a M14 dog and don t care about them but it happens they share some views which are common to me BUT i wouldn t fight for the politicians as they are the same as M8 ones (just looking to maintain their privileges!!!) ...)
28 September 2012, 20:41
01
the 60's law is still way better than dividing up ditricts tailored to secterain divide. At least in the 60's law, you still have various sects comingled and competing against each others. The small districts is only going to bring further sectarian division which we don't need. Some say Jumblatt or Harriri will lose from this arrangement- I still don't think so - because whoever Jumblatt looses for example in shouf or aley, he can make up in other districts such as in rachaia or hasbaya or meten or wherever there large Mowahdeen communitiues. The christians r feeling that they r mis or underrepresented.That is fare and sqaure. Of course the hizballah of the world is not worried because he has the big share of the shiite vote and technically they think that they can do what they want to change any governmnet or president with their arms and weapons so why should they care if they have one less MP?
28 September 2012, 20:57
01
Having smaller districts is the way to go. The people of that district will know who they are electing and can asses their work, where as now these people are elected on list. Smaller districts also allows people of modest means to run whereas bigger districts you would need to be attached to a za3m or have a bunch of money. This has nothing to do with secterian,,, this is reality in lebanon most communities live in divided areas so give them the best representation possible to they can asses those reps instead of this law that we have now that does not allow the voter to lay responsibility on a politician that does not do their job.
29 September 2012, 00:07
04
Hakim is the man of truth, may god protect our next president...
29 September 2012, 00:36
04
Ya Hakim you know Jumblat will out smart FPM ,just work on becoming the next President .
29 September 2012, 05:01
10
Geagea is obsessed with defending hariri and jumblatt even when jumblatt rejected his proposal for small electoral districts and called him a bad specie.
Amazing what saudi money does; but what of his followers? What are their excuses for adopting his positions? I doubt they are getting paid like he is.
29 September 2012, 11:04
11
i know for sure that abu faour (jumblatt's envoy) and geagea had a great argument over the issue. jumblatt fears that independent or rival candidates might win in the chouf. geagea and aoun could get MPs independently from his feudal power system (this must be scaring). Geagea has the ambition to become president, that is why he wants to be the strongest Maronite in the 14M political camp, and wait until the regional situation turns in his favour. Amin want to play in the middle, while the "independent" small christian MPs would sell their vote away. actually, geagea's proposal might suit michel aoun, but they will jump at each other's throat again to cut out the smaller districts. it seems to me that the political discourse in Lebanon is in coma.
29 September 2012, 14:38
10
The whole country should be one electoral district and seats in parliament being won according to the total number of votes for a party as a percentage of the total number of votes cast.
There should be no votes for expatriates.
Surely voting for a parliament is for matters that affect the country. If the expatriates want to have a say in what goes on in the country, they have a simple solution..........return home.
