Phalange: No for Postponing Elections, 1960 Electoral Law, Cabinet's Proposal

The Phalange Party urged on Monday political figures criticizing draft laws “that assure just representation and true partnership” to rethink their positions, restating that the proposal based on dividing Lebanon into 50 small electoral districts is still its top choice for an electoral law.

"Let the suggested proposals be debated in the parliament,” the Phalange said in an issued statement after its political bureau's weekly meeting.

The politburo stated that the Phalange's three totally rejected and non-negotiable options are postponing the elections, adopting the 1960s electoral law and the cabinet's proposal based on proportional representation as “it leads to establishing an unacceptable tripartite in the country”.

The 1960 law that is based on a winner-takes-all system was adopted in the 2009 parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, the cabinet's draft-law is based on a proportional representation system with 13 medium-sized electoral districts.

"We are open to all suggestions that assure fair and just representation, including the Orthodox Gathering's draft electoral law,” the statement explained.

The March 14 Christian MPs had suggested to divide Lebanon into 50 small-sized districts based on a winner-takes-all system while the Christian four-party committee on the electoral law agreed to endorse an electoral system proposed by the so-called Orthodox Gathering, under which each sect would elect its own lawmakers.

However, the Orthodox proposal has been criticized by President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Najib Miqati, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat, al-Mustaqbal Movement and independent Christian figures in the March 14 coalition, amongst other MPs and officials.

Commenting on the flow of Syrians and Palestinians from the neighboring war-torn country, the Phalange's statement urged the cabinet and concerned authorities to prepare a study that examines all aspects of this issue, tackling Lebanon's ability to host and care for a large number of refugees.

"Controlling the influx of refugees is a necessary procedure to better deal with this humanitarian issue,” the politburo remarked.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced on Saturday that the number of refugees who have fled Syria and came to Lebanon has exceeded 212,000, all of whom are receiving aid from the Lebanese government, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations.

"We also call for seizing the moment to establish a civil personal status code in the country and pass the optional civil marriage draft law in the parliament,” the politburo stated, explaining that this position is in parallel with Phalange's spirit and values “that have called for establishing a civil state in Lebanon since the 1960s”.

A Lebanese couple challenged the sectarian personal status code and tied the knot last November by removing the reference of their sects from their respective IDs and basing their marital contract on the decree issued in 1936 by French high commissioner Comte Damien de Martel when a Lebanese princess made a request to marry a Frenchman.

The Interior Ministry, however, failed to approve the unprecedented civil marriage of Kholoud Sukkariyah and Nidal Darwish that relied on Decree No. 60 L.R.

The Pahalange's statement condemned Friday's assault on Sports and Youth Minister Faisal Karami's convoy: “We call on the cabinet to come up with an urgent plan to disarm (the northern city of) Tripoli and put it under the control and supervision of the legal authority”.

"(Former) Prime Minister Omar Karami's patriotic position has saved the city from another round of violence,” it expressed.

Friday's assault erupted after gunmen from the neighborhood of Bab al-Tabbaneh demanding the release of Islamists held in Roumieh prison clashed with Karami's bodyguards and then tossed a grenade at the convoy, setting a four-wheeler on fire.