Al-Rahi to Meet Christian Parties in Next Two Days: Any Proposal Other Than 1960 Law Has My Blessing
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Thursday revealed that he will meet with the Christian parties “over the next two days” to discuss with them the so-called “Rome agreement,” noting that he approves of any electoral proposal other than the 1960 law.
“I will contact the Christian parties in order to meet with them over the next two days, ahead of the Holy Week, and I discussed the issue of the electoral law with Speaker (Nabih) Berri and Prime Minister (Najib) Miqati in Rome,” said al-Rahi at the Beirut Rafik Hariri International Airport upon his return from the Vatican.
“Everyone is familiar with Speaker Berri's proposal, which is a hybrid law that equally combines proportional representation and the winner-takes-all system,” he added.
“Any proposal other than the 1960 law has my blessing and we support everything the Lebanese agree on and all the Lebanese are seeking consensus,” the patriarch announced.
He stressed that “Bkirki is with a law that enjoys the endorsement of all the Lebanese.”
Al-Rahi noted that the executive authority “must take decisions over the pressing issues.”
“We are with any decision that achieves public welfare,” he said.
Asked about the sectarian tensions and deteriorating security in the country, the patriarch said: “We are being affected by everything that is happening in the Arab world and we call on the Lebanese not to import the tensions.”
“We call on the Lebanese to realize that it is necessary to turn Lebanon into an oasis of peace and refrain from engaging in the current conflicts,” he added.
Consultations are ongoing among Christian leaders ahead of a broad meeting at Bkirki on Friday to discuss the new electoral law and a two-page proposal agreed upon between al-Rahi, Berri and Miqati, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported Thursday.
The Phalange party, Lebanese Forces party, Marada Movement and the Free Patriotic Movement are discussing the possibility of uniting their stances over the proposal, the daily said.
It added that al-Rahi will brief the four leaders of the christian parties during Bkirki's meeting on the agreement reached with Berri and Miqati in Rome on Monday.
Media reports said that the two-page document states that political foes should consent on a hybrid electoral law that divides the parliamentary seats equally based on winner-takes-all and proportional systems or 60 percent of MPs be elected through the winner-takes-all and 40 according to the proportional system.
The document also calls on the formation of a senate, where senators would be elected according to the Orthodox Gathering proposal.
The proposal also suggests the formation of an independent authority overseeing the elections and carrying out the senate elections and parliamentary elections on the same day, in addition to the formation of a new cabinet to supervise the polls.
FPM leader MP Michel Aoun rejected on Tuesday any alternative to the Orthodox Gathering electoral draft-law.
Al-Joumhouria reported that Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel will reiterate during Bkirki meeting his rejection to the adoption of the 1960 law, which is based on winner-takes-all system.
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