Mustaqbal: Orthodox Gathering Law Transforms People into Sectarian Tribes
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc renewed on Tuesday its rejection of a parliamentary electoral law based on proportional representation, while also rejecting the Orthodox Gathering draft electoral law, saying that it fuels sectarianism in Lebanon.
It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: “The Orthodox Gathering law transforms the people into sectarian tribes.”
“The bloc considers Lebanon to be a country of mutual coexistence between Muslims and Christians … and it therefore completely rejects discussions over any law that contradicts this coexistence and the principles of the civil state,” it added.
“The bloc rejects any law that violates the constitution,” it said.
The Orthodox Gathering law transforms a lawmaker from a civilian-elected MP to one elected by members of his own sect, it noted.
“The lawmaker and the civilians are supposed to reflect the diversity of their electoral district” and not its sectarian identity, stressed the bloc.
“The Mustaqbal bloc is committed to the Taef Accord as a treaty among the Lebanese and the basis for any electoral law,” it added.
“We are ready to openly discuss any draft law that would satisfy all partners in the nation and alleviate their concerns on condition that the appeasement of these concerns does not create new ones for other factions,” it explained.
To that purpose, the bloc demanded an end to heated sectarian rhetoric “that only leads to more extremism and narrow-mindedness.”
On the government's draft electoral law based on proportional representation, the Mustaqbal bloc said that its adoption would only serve the purposes of Hizbullah due to its illegal possession of arms.
“Such a law could be adopted in the future once the Lebanese people all begin to respect each other's rights and once the threat of arms is eliminated,” it said.
The Orthodox Gathering draft law calls for each sect to elect its own lawmakers.
The proposal enjoys the support of the Christian four-party committee comprised of the Phalange Party, Free Patriotic Movement, Marada Movement, and Lebanese Forces.
The draft law was criticized by President Michel Suleiman, Premier Najib Miqati, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, the Mustaqbal Movement, March 14 Independent Christian leaders and several other figures.
The cabinet approved in August a draft electoral law based on proportional representation and 13 districts.
It was rejected by Jumblat and the March 14-led opposition, which deemed it as being tailored to the March 8 camp's interests.
15 January 2013, 18:39
33
Secular democratic state and total separation of Church/Mosque and state...nothing else will work...
16 January 2013, 04:27
01
Secular democratic state and total separation of Church/Mosque and state...nothing else will work...
Right on allouchi, but we must admit this is a long and hard trail that forward-thinking Lebanese must endure and labor over to reach that goal. For that to happen, minds must be nurtured in nationalist and constitutional ideologies, educational curriculum must be re-written to instill non-secularism, existing political parties must be dissolved and new ones formed abiding by non-secular rules, and finally the constitution must be re-written to accommodate the same.
16 January 2013, 01:14
11
The Orthodox Gathering draft law is unpatriotic, it's as simple as that. I don't know how any patriotic Lebanese can support such a blatantly sectarian proposal. We already have a sectarian system; this stupid proposal would make it worse.
16 January 2013, 15:22
00
My compatriots of March 14, when the farts of al-Mustaqbal al-At3as, aka as Lebanon First Some Twenty-Two Damn Years Late, claim that something (anything) transforms the "people" into sectarian tribes or causes sectarian strife, you know that they are lying (and we all know how... well... umm... duh... dishonest and what a bunch of liars they are?) because it is what they do that is highly dubious and causes all kinds of strifes. Take my word for it, warriors. I wish you all a belated Happy New Year. Perhaps the ASSad regime MIGHT fall this year now that 2012 has passed with a disappointment to Dr. Arreet 7akeh, gabby666 and allouchi efendi! Keep hope alive and khayra bi ghayra.
