Miqati Expresses Reservations on Orthodox Electoral Law Proposal
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Prime Minister Najib Miqati expressed reservations on Wednesday on the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal, saying MPs should agree on an electoral draft-law that guarantees a just representation.
In remarks to An Nahar daily, Miqati stressed the importance of reaching an agreement on “a draft-law that guarantees the fair representation of all sects and factions.”
His remark came a day after President Michel Suleiman's shocking announcement that the Orthodox electoral proposal is in breach of the constitution.
"Despite its unconstitutionality, the Orthodox Gathering's proposal does have a positive side which is considering Lebanon as a single electoral district,” Suleiman said.
The proposal, which calls for each sect to elect its own MPs under a proportional representation system based on a nationwide district, has also faced severe criticism from the opposition al-Mustaqbal bloc and centrist National Struggle Front leader Walid Jumblat.
Rival MPs from the March 8 majority and the March 14 opposition kicked off on Tuesday intense meetings as part of a parliamentary subcommittee tasked with discussing the type of electoral system, the number and size of districts, and the number of lawmakers.
Among the proposals being examined for this year's parliamentary elections are the Orthodox proposal and a draft-law suggested by March 14 that divides Lebanon into 50 small districts based on a winner-takes-all system.
Another draft-law has been proposed by the cabinet. It is based on a proportional representation system with 13 medium-sized electoral districts.
However, it has been totally rejected by the opposition and Jumblat.
Many officials and politicians have said that the 1960 law that is based on a winner-takes-all system should be adopted with some amendments if the subcommittee failed to reach an agreement on a new draft-law.
09 January 2013, 11:03
11
People should take a stand and not vote if the 1960 law is adopted. The orthodox draft law is in breach of the constitution says President Suleiman; well why don't they amend the constitution if M14 Christians are in accordance with the draft law as Geagea noted the other day?
09 January 2013, 11:39
11
Get away with stating an opinion? It's called the freedom of expression my friend. Obviously it seems you are in a way or other living under oppression. Which kind? That i leave it for you to explain. As you may not know though, it is a right to amend constitutions with time, for the sake of continuity otherwise in a couple of hundreds of years you will be living under primitive laws.
09 January 2013, 16:51
00
No respectable country in the world amend its constitution to meed narrow sectarian interest, to discriminate and to further establish different classes of citizens. People may say what they want. Only in Lebanon, this is considered legitimate discourse and are not laughed off. I have been involved in Canadian politics for a long time and anyone considering such ideas would be politically dead. That such racism passes as legitimate political postion says much about Lebanon and its people.
09 January 2013, 16:58
01
Valid response! What share? I doubt if he knows what democracy is if it hit him in the face. A real democracy does not discriminate between its citizens and have different classes of citizens. Because you are a maronite, your vote is worth 1.4. You are a Sunni 1.0. You are a Shia 0.8.
This is madness and this is what brought us to wars before. We needed to move away from sectarianism and not make it even more established.
The hizb voting for this law put to mockerfy its pretention to be anti-sectarian. Simply put it, they put their weapons above everything else.
09 January 2013, 18:32
00
yes instead of struggling in worthless meetings to find a BS law that would protect their interests , they d rather meet to stop sectariansim and find a law to stop it! but as they are just defending their low interests they dont give a sh.. as to improve the country as they all benefit from it by frightening people! they all pretend to want secular laws but when it comes to it they all defend their sects!
Although the Taif Agreement identified the abolition of political sectarianism as a national priority they all forgot about that!
M14 always pretend to defend this agreement but never refers to the end of sectarianism! aoun pretends to be in favor of secularism but always talk about christian rights and never offers a solution to implement it!!!!
hypocrits they are...
