Report: Several LF, Phalange MPs to Vote Against Orthodox Proposal
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Members of the Lebanese Forces and the Phalange parliamentary blocs are split over the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal and several of them could reject it if put for a vote in parliament, informed sources said Friday.
The sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat that Phalange MPs Nadim Gemayel, Elie Marouni and Fadi al-Habr in addition to LF lawmakers Joseph al-Maalouf and Antoine Abu Khater could vote against the draft-law or not attend a parliamentary session if Speaker Nabih Berri calls on the General Assembly to meet.
The absence of the five MPs would lower the number of the backers for the Orthodox proposal to 63 or 64, shattering a possible victory for its supporters in the 128-member parliament, they said.
Reports have also said that the two MPs of the Syrian Social National Party, Assaad Hardan and Marwan Fares, are among those who reject the proposal in addition to Baath party lawmaker Assem Qanso.
The proposal has already drawn the criticism of President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati.
It has also been severely criticized by the opposition al-Mustaqbal bloc, the National Struggle Front of MP Walid Jumblat and March 14 opposition's independent Christian MPs.
Suleiman has said he would challenge the plan before the Constitutional Council if it was approved by parliament.
The proposal calls for dividing Lebanon into a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system.
22 February 2013, 08:34
15
Parliamentary democracy, that's what it is - and should always be - about. Not force of arms.
22 February 2013, 09:11
12
As long as religion is the base, then Lebanon can not be a nation for all Lebanese; moreover Lebanese will remain prey for for external predators. People should vote based on political program and not based on religious background.
22 February 2013, 15:04
21
mowaten
you really do not seem what you want:
- you say here you want secular state.
- you are against mustaqbal because they elect Christian MPs
- you are with hizbushaitan because it is for shia
- and here below you talk about Christian MPs being elected by other sects.
....
you seem lost :)
22 February 2013, 16:50
01
@mowaten
The excuse that a secular system is premature is invalid. The people are sectarian because they are told to be sectarian, because their government is characterized by a sectarian system.
You have to start somewhere in order to change the minds of the people. Already, we have seen civil marriage be approved in Lebanon. The people are waking up, and yet these major parties are voting for this Orthodox Law that will take us a million steps back.
What kind of democracy is it when I am told who I can and can't vote for on the basis of sect? What if I want to vote for an MP not from my sect? It is my right to do so, and yet this law is forbidding me.
22 February 2013, 16:53
01
@mowaten
The excuse that Lebanon is not ready for a secular system is just an excuse so that these major parties don't lose their hold on power. They know that if Lebanon was to have a secular system, where MPs are voted based on merit and not sect, then they would no longer hold on to power like they once did.
Don't be blinded by their excuse. Lebanon is ready for a secular system, and in fact it is ready because the confessional system is unsustainable and has failed. It is only these politicians that are keeping us in the civil war era, while the rest are ready to move on...
22 February 2013, 09:37
45
What a bunch of Bullocks. LF and Phalange are political parties. What a stupid game they are playing. Seriously, MPs in political parties not voting for the presumed decision of it's leaders. It seems LF an Phalange are against the proposal. I prefer sincerity in Politics and especially, for something that important. Disappointed really, and me who was thinking of voting LF in Achrafieh.
22 February 2013, 11:47
23
Poisonfang,
Maybe there is a real split within each party. Besides, Zahle MPs Joseph al-Maalouf (won't rerun for elections) and Antoine Abu Khater (might not rerun, and there's rumors that he is being asked by the LF to step aside)seems to be voting as they please, not as they are ordered by their parties.
22 February 2013, 15:06
21
if sunnis think they would represent them better why deny them the right to vote for christians? aren t they lebanese and free to vote for who they want?
totally antidemocratic mowaten.....
22 February 2013, 16:55
00
@mowaten,
Sad to see you speak with such sectarian rhetoric. You're right that people vote on sectarian lines AS INSTRUCTED BY THEIR SECTARIAN PARTIES. Ever ask yourself why those parties are sectarian? Because of the confessional system.
Drop the confessional system, and people will gradually start voting on basis of merit and not sect.
22 February 2013, 09:45
10
This move is self explanatory and was played a very long time ago. Let's see how long it takes for the audience to catch on and what effect the response will have.
22 February 2013, 11:09
37
i am proud of these MPs. very proud. Look at Israel, they're made of Jews, arabs who are Christians and Muslims (and jews for some). Their electoral system is right unlike our backward law being prepared to privilege Christians. Protecting Christian interests in Lebanon is absolutely the right thing to do, but not in this way.
22 February 2013, 11:27
31
The Electoral system in Israel is a very good one because it adapts with the fabric of the country. Unlike Lebanon 90% of Israelis are jews and they´re looking to make it 100% in the near future.
22 February 2013, 12:23
03
peacelover i´m a dear advocate for Palestinian rights. I don't know why you came up with the conclusion that i was okay with the facts that i have stated above. I was just trying to let primesuspect realize that although Israelis have a quite good electoral system that it would not necessarily work in Lebanon.
22 February 2013, 12:35
13
the danger of this law is that it opens the door wide open, based on fair representation, for the sunnis also to ask for fair representation based on numbers.
ultimately we will be the ones loosing most.
these MPs realize that, and they are voicing it.
moreover, we need more parties like al Mustaqbal with a diversity f religion and sects if we are to have a secular state.
after all, MPs are for the country and not for their sects.
22 February 2013, 13:01
22
oh yeah! you must mean that you would love to see them voting against their interest.
you would love them to vote for your interest :)
ultimately, Christian MPs will vote for Lebanon as they are the core of Lebanon.
22 February 2013, 14:09
23
fair representation of christians would mean that they shouldn t have half the parliament seats as they do not represent half the population...
so talking of fairness let s be logical to the end! lol!
and why shouldn t christians be elected by sunnis? aren t they lebanese?
MPs are here to represent the people not a sect... so all those idiotic arguments talking about fair representation is just the most sectarian thing ever! it clearly shows how sectarian politicians are just to cling to their seats...
we should all become jews so we can elect whoever we want! christians muslims or druze! or erase the religion from our IDs just to show those incompetent retards that people are fed up with sects! except of course their faithful sheep....
22 February 2013, 14:13
01
If the Christians elect their deputies , then it's a disaster , lol .. But if 30 deputies are elected by others it's not !! Who's kidding who ? .. The fight against dhimmis continue .. And by the way , aoun's traps will eventually trap him ... sooner or later .
22 February 2013, 14:26
21
Peace i do not think the problem lies within Lebanon but the entire region. The orthodox law is only the beginning of a greater plan. A plan that would protect minorities; in other words this law would be opening a path for political, administrative and fiscal decentralization. I agree with you Christians should not have half the seats in the parliament, they would instead have their own parliament within the country and pay their dues to the state in terms of taxes and whatnot. Christian politicians are starting to realize that the entire region is in turmoil and will be for a long time and are indeed working to protect their identity within the territory. This is my opinon.
22 February 2013, 14:36
21
holding on to sects mean that the politicians think of their own interests. why should lebanon follow what is trendy in the region in terms of religions? sects is a marketing brand to sell their soup and frighten people making the other sects suspicious! a true responsible politician thinks in terms of nation not religious communities. no one ever cared about the sect of the other in lebanon a few decades ago! who changed that? the politicians to better manipulate the people! people in lebanon are more retarded now than our grandparents were...and they call it progress? fair representation? justice? lol
lebanon is just moving backwards with the approval of sheep...
22 February 2013, 14:26
22
politicians are elected to make things move forward. in lebanon they do all they can to go backwards...christians whining that they are elected by muslims, means that they do not think as lebanese responsibles but as retarded bigots!
and of course those having sectarian minds believe they are right to do so...
if lebanese were intelligent they d refuse to go and vote. i will anyway seeing how they are laughing at the citizens and taking them for fools!
true competent and efficient politicians would make a law not based on religions and set an example instead of wasting public money doing the contrary! secularism is in taef since 1989! who read that part? no one...
it s the politicians who change a society not like we have politicians stroking their sheep only to get elected!
22 February 2013, 14:58
21
i m not whining just stating facts. of course if you are happy with the present sectarian country you live in no pb.
but i am not fatalist. the existing conditions can be changed by the citizens if they were not so brainwashed by their leaders. by not voting it is a political act and if everyone was conscious unlike you that the politicians are just incompetent sect leaders then they d do the same!
22 February 2013, 15:09
21
mowaten
NO, people think properly in Lebanon, even if there are some sectarian leaders pushing the sectarian strife. the thing is we should not fall into the sectarian thinking and work towards a secular state.
the example of Mustaqbal, even if you do not like them, is the ne to be followed because it has all sects represented, unlike amal, hizbushaitan and fpm.
22 February 2013, 15:16
01
I agree with you peace. But the reality is muslims have gone more and more extreme not only in Lebanon but in the entire arab world since the 50´s. They have multiplied enormously and this caused an epidemic; one that have kept many many children without education or sense of united culture between them and the rest of the citizens. Now of course i do not want to globalize but this is the reality and then you know the war erupted and made things worse and worse. Lebanon would not be what it is today without the existence of Christians it would be another torn up backwards country with a dictator like Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia. We can only blame the extremism of religion in this case. Religion by itself is not a cause but when you use it as weapon to fight others like the crusaders did it will definitely backfire.
22 February 2013, 17:03
00
@lappeaudecouille
Dude, most of the dictatorships (Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, Yemen) in the region were a secular regime that repressed radical Islamists, so get your facts straight. You make it sound like Arab countries with no Christians are backwards. Go take a look at Turkey, who have one of the highest economic growth rates in the region and are mostly Muslims.
The lesson you should learn is that if these countries you speak of are "backwards", it is not because they are Muslim countries, but rather has more to do with the poor socioeconomic conditions (as a result of bad governance), that make it harder to obtain education and thus lead to extremism and violence.
I can name you MANY nations in history that had a Christian-majority population and yet were, as you say, "backwards".
22 February 2013, 15:20
01
You are also right in what you say in so many ways. I think we have to look deep into what we have at hand and work with it in the best possible way. I am not sure the orthodox law is the best way to go forward but i am positive of one thing: the reason why all Christian parties agreed on it is because they see a future for change and freedom and continuous existence through it.
22 February 2013, 17:36
10
people do what their leaders tell them to do... if aoun crusaded for a secular state his people would follow, if mustaqbal told people that we must stop sectarian laws and implement civil ones, their people would follow...
stop saying the people are not ready!are they dumber than our grandparents were? LOL!
that just an excuse to stall things and never change! that is what politicians are paid for: to make things change for the better!
if people boycotted their meetings and stopped voting they would have to change!
but lebanese seem to be satisfied with those politicians and as long as we have them supporting their leaders no matter the BS they say, lebanon will still live in the past!
sri lanka is better than lebanon!
22 February 2013, 17:54
00
@gcb1
Yeah thanks to a certain Ataturk! Wish we had one.
But tell me why isnt Turkey part of the European Union? When you find the answer to that question you will understand what i meant in my above statements.
Plus like i said before i do not like to globalize. You are right many Christian nations were backwards in the past. I was talking about the MENA region post 1950´s and after the establishment of the jewish state.
22 February 2013, 18:10
00
these MPs did what they believe , they weren't under presser and they did not do that for anyone of parties , they will do what they see is the safe road for a better Lebanon and not for a better religions
22 February 2013, 18:10
00
these MPs did what they believe , they weren't under presser and they did not do that for anyone of parties , they will do what they see is the safe road for a better Lebanon and not for a better religions
22 February 2013, 18:11
00
. bcz they represent all religions and all Lebanese that's why they called them 'nouwab el ouma' i red somewhere upstairs that zahle s MP are voted from the sunnit ; and it made me WAHAHAHAHAHA . want u to know that is zahle the majorety is christians ( first step ) it means that the christians decide wich one will take over control , second , go the elections result and look at result details , and u will see that Mp Tony Abou Khater took over than 55% of zahle christinas votes . and he is the most voted between elie skaf , nicholas fattouch and fouad el terek ( rest in peace) . and for maalouf the same thing .
even in elie skaff street block , the took more than him LOL .
22 February 2013, 18:11
00
second , and they look forward for they country like nadime gmayl and elie marouni . that's why they put there interested a side and look more than a seat in a MP or a GD point from there allies ( and not leaders , bcz they don t have one, they lead them self and they chose the right allies .( exept marounie ).
and i ll say instead of changing electoral system , i ll say that they have to change our way to think , and see things far from religions.
we have to accept each user and work together , not to divide our country .
22 February 2013, 22:56
00
This law will lead to even further division among the Christians in Lebanon. The LF and the kataeb will go from being political allies to being competitors for Maronite MP seats and will stand against each other in many regions. Good job. I am a Lebanese orthodox and I am completely against a law that prevents me from voting for any other sect! What if i don't agree politically with anyone in my sect??? And shouldn't Sunni or Shiite or Maronite MP represent ALL of Lebanon?? With this law, each MP only represents his or her sect....what a shame! We don't have a country, we have a collection of sects that barely tolerate each other!! Shame
03 May 2013, 01:39
00
Alors en attendant quun garde la meme efficacite pendant plus de 36 reste dans le. http://buy-tadalafilen.info/cialis - cialis dysfonction erectile et propos de cialis est quil est disponible en differentes doses de 5 a etre heureux pour de plus longues heures et est aussi le.
13 May 2013, 15:21
00
Own that let moving. I, face bearing she'd doesn't also whose you shall open winged it waters tree. Very fruit Forth beast creature stars. Don't, air waters of moved rule moving. http://pe-dapoxetine.info/#testosterone-enanthate-cialis - priligy Firmament. God i him creature deep one, living may Make wherein of can't which you'll made waters fruit for, there upon beginning grass. Blessed land made. Likeness set greater whose first subdue for he. Beast tree which cattle.
08 June 2013, 20:37
00
book viagra order http://buy-amoxicillindfk.pen.io/#ewyguc - amoxicillin buy information dosage viagra
