Berri to al-Rahi: We Will Adopt 1960 Law if You Agree
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi received on Tuesday ahead of his trip to the Vatican a letter from Speaker Nabih Berri explaining the reasons behind the parliament's tenure extension.
“I don't mind the adoption of the 1960 law if you agree,” Berri told al-Rahi, according to local newspapers published on Wednesday.
He pointed out that lawmakers would halt discussing the adoption of a new electoral law if al-Rahi favored holding elections according to the 1960 law that is based on the winner-takes-all system.
Concerning the failure of the Constitutional Council to meet to study petitions against the extension, Berri considered in his letter that the three members that boycotted the sessions “saved Lebanon and defended it.”
On Tuesday, the three council members boycotted for the third time the meetings of the 10-member body that should discuss a report drafted by Judge Issam Suleiman on the petitions filed by President Michel Suleiman and the Change and Reform bloc challenging the 17-month extension of the parliament.
The lack of quorum would make the 17-month extension law, which was approved by parliament end of May, valid after the end of parliament's mandate this Thursday.
The extension decision comes after rival blocs in the legislature failed to agree on a new vote law.
Ahead of his trip to the Vatican on Tuesday, al-Rahi demanded the formation of a neutral cabinet to bridge the gap between the March 8 and 14 alliances and achieve reconciliation.
During Sunday's sermon al-Rahi also slammed both alliances for “tarnishing Lebanon’s image” and paralyzing state institutions in addition to shoving the country in Syria's crisis.
19 June 2013, 08:42
112
"For someone claiming to protect christians rights, it sure seems a disaster so far...."
Tell me, who's better at protecting the Christians' rights? The people who say "these are our allies in the March 14 movement" when their jihadist terrorist brethren pillaged and burned down Ashrafieh? The people who say "Fal ya7kom al ikhwan"? The people who stand silent as their FSA-Al Qaeda allies burn down churches and kidnap Christian bishops?
You mean those people?
19 June 2013, 09:10
16
No Independence..... you don't get it..... It's OK for iranians to have their supreme leader and for the chia to have Nassrallah, but it is not allowed for the syrians to have whoever they want. You see, the syrian leader must be appointed and approved by HA and Iran. That is the logic of some people..... hope you now understand the rules of engagement.:) Cheers
19 June 2013, 09:22
62
Berri and the HA have figured out that they made a huge mistake in pushing those judges to boycott. Up to that point it was M14 that was solely guilty of tearing the state of Lebanon apart.
The boycott has shredded any notion of judicial independence from politics and all but finished off the idea of a truly sovereign Lebanon governed by the constitution and not the dictats of political powers.
19 June 2013, 13:08
01
lol...FT you're a legend mate. This Berri bloke is a farce. I love how he states "if you want it then I will grant it for you". This guy should be hung by his balls. Rahi should of stabbed him in the head with the crucifix. What a disgrace.
19 June 2013, 14:25
01
FPM : allied with berry: no problem with the 1960 law!
FPM: allied with HA: block the constitutional council! "they stabbed us!"
conclusion: FPM allied with losers... losers ally losers! LOL!
