March 14 Leaders Discuss Repercussions of Maronite Meeting in Bkirki
Opposition leaders have held talks to discuss the approval of both pro-March 8 and 14 Maronite leaders of a proposal by the Orthodox Gathering for each sect to choose its own representatives in the 2013 parliamentary elections, An Nahar daily reported on Wednesday.
The newspaper said that the March 14 leaders stressed the importance of discussing the proposal while taking into consideration the Taef Accord of 1989 which has called for the establishment of two parliaments: A non-sectarian legislature and a senate that elects its members along sectarian lines.
An Nahar quoted March 14 MP Marwan Hamadeh as saying that the Orthodox Gathering’s proposal would be discussed along with other issues, including the establishment of a senate as called for by the Taef and giving all sects a say on fateful issues.
The proposal has come under fire from officials from across the political spectrum who have claimed that it would isolate Christians from Muslims.
The country’s Maronite leaders - Phalange Party chief Amin Gemayel, Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, and the head of the Marada Movement Suleiman Franjieh -unanimously approved the proposal during a meeting they held in Bkirki last week.
A five-member committee formed during the meeting held talks on Tuesday to agree on ways to launch dialogue with the country’s political parties on the proposal.
The committee includes MPs Butros Harb, George Adwan, Alain Aoun and Sami Gemayel, and former Minister Youssef Saadeh.
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