Judge Suleiman Denies Coming under Political Pressure over Parliament Extension
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The head of the Constitutional Council, Judge Issam Suleiman, denied on Thursday coming under political pressure over the challenges against the extension of parliament's four-year mandate.
“Everybody knows well that I am not the type that is influenced by any pressure,” Suleiman told As Safir newspaper.
“I am not ready to sacrifice my convictions, credibility and dignity” in return for favors, he said.
The council failed on Wednesday for the second day in a row to meet to issue a decision on a report drafted by Suleiman on two petitions filed against the 17-month extension of the legislature's term.
Three judges – two Shiites and one Druze – boycotted the meetings to prevent a quorum, a sign of political interference.
The challenges were made on June 1 and 3 respectively by President Michel Suleiman and the Change and Reform bloc of Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun.
Judge Suleiman denied accusations that he was following the president's orders to accept the challenges and rule against the extension.
“I have immunity. I refuse coming under the pressure of either the president or Michel Aoun or the Maronite Patriarch,” he said.
“I am also not a dictator … The three members should have attended (the meetings) and expressed their viewpoints,” Suleiman told As Safir. “But it's their own problem if they have been politically influenced.”
“Besides I don't own anyone anything because I haven't asked the president to be appointed a member of the Constitutional Council or its head,” he said.
Suleiman also denied that he had collaborated with the president by drafting his report before the petition was issued on June 1.
“I referred my report five days after the president filed his petition on the extension law,” he said, stressing that the swift move came over his race against time.
If the council fails to issue a ruling on the extension by June 20 – the date the parliament's term expires – then the law becomes valid and the parliamentary elections would be held in November 2014.
The council's next meeting is Tuesday.
The absence of the three judges on Tuesday and Wednesday was a clear sign of political interference and an attempt by several officials, mainly Speaker Nabih Berri, the Hizbullah leadership and Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat, to prevent the council from issuing a decision on the petitions.
The approval or the rejection of the challenges requires the go-ahead of seven out of the council's half-Christian half-Muslim members. Plus the body cannot vote without a quorum of eight members.
13 June 2013, 08:08
46
Jumblatt, Berri, and the criminal party agreed to obstruct the constitutional council.
13 June 2013, 09:03
45
What kind of constitutional council is this if its members are bipartisans and boycotting it.
Boycotts should be banned for them. They have a duty to fulfill.
Maybe the President should fire those 3 because it is clear that their integrity has been compromised already.
13 June 2013, 11:52
41
Why is it that everyone always drifts from the facts? I say this with as much respect as possible! KSA and the GCC have nothing to do with this, unless you are accusing KSA and GCC to have influence on the Shiite and Druze sects or judges, which in this case contradicts everything the Shiite sect says about the KSA and GCC.
13 June 2013, 11:52
41
Please don't miss understand me, I completely agree with you on the fact that we all need to come together as a people and society and forget the regional and international alliances that divide us as a unified nation, but we cannot do this without facing the major problems at hand. Some members of the M8 coalition completely disregard the concept of government and the foundation on which a country is built! I was specific about M8 because they are representatives and cabinet members in the "governing" body of our country, nation and HOME!
13 June 2013, 11:54
41
We cannot build a society based on the assassination of the governments rights that were given by the people! No one should be allowed to take the entire society as a hostage of global and personnel ventures! At least 50%, NOT TO SAY MORE, of the Lebanese citizens do not agree with the cross border conduct of the Islamic resistance!!! They don't have the right to venture off on adventures that affect the lives of the 50% that disagree with them!!! If the government was the one who took those decisions then there are means of checks and balances that could be implemented if less than 10% of the citizens disagree with the action taken!!!!! If the government had all of it's God and people given rights than the checks and balances along with accountability become a reality that we and our children's children can be proud of!!! So everyone please look deeper into the issues at hand or else we are doomed for separation as a people and country. (As a people I guess it's too late)
13 June 2013, 11:56
41
Please excuse me for writing so much but these issues are very bitter and not sweet at all!!! The order is from the bottom-up for anyone who thinks these issues are very bitter and worth screaming about!
13 June 2013, 13:07
40
Everything that u said is 100000000% on the money!!!!!!! And the truth shall set u free :D
13 June 2013, 22:03
11
I sure hope he's not related to the President. I don't know how these Arab names work.
Why does the membership of the council mirror the Taef Accord formula: are Christians magically virtuous?
