Aoun Reiterates Calls for Adopting Orthodox Draft, Warns: Inequality in Vote Law Not Source of Stability
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun stated on Tuesday his rejection of “sharing Christians' rights”, warning against a “serious problem” that could result if no equality was assured in the electoral law.
“Until now we have not yet reached an electoral law that respects the Lebanese constitution and the National Pact. No adopted law has so far respected religious co-existence,” Aoun expressed after the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform bloc.
He elaborated: “The basis of co-existence requires that every person enjoys his rights and this was not respected.“
"Inequality will cause a problem and will not be a source of stability,” the FPM leader warned, pointing out that a “single-sect domination has slaughtered Christian presence.”
“Only the Orthodox Gathering's draft electoral law respects the constitution.”
Aoun accused those who oppose the draft of being “subordinate to other forces.”
He stressed: “The Orthodox proposal must be submitted to the parliament for vote. When it fails, I will then realize who are my enemies and who are with me. Maneuvers have been on the rise.”
“Christians are held responsible in front of the people for the stands they take.”
The Orthodox proposal, which calls each sect to elect exclusively its own MPs based on a proportional representation system has been rejected by President Michel Suleiman, caretaker Premier Najib Miqati, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat's National Struggle Front, the Mustaqbal Movement, and independent March 14 MPs.
They said it deepens sectarian divisions in Lebanon.
Aoun gave a brief overview on the electoral laws that were adopted in Lebanon since the Taif Accord.
“We all know that laws assigned the deputies although they should have been elected. And as a consequence to the 1992's deformed law, 87% of the Lebanese boycotted the elections,” he said.
“It was a shameful event in the history of the world's democracy.”
Aoun continued: “The 1996's law was worse because Christians were eliminated from four provinces and Mount Lebanon was divided into districts to decrease the poisonous influence of this sect's presence."
Meanwhile, in the year 2000, Beirut did not have any influence in the parliamentary elections and the minority won, according to Aoun.
Tackling the Doha Summit's accord, he said: “We have proposed proportional representation and after a tough discussion we have agreed, under an Arab pressure, on the amendments presented in the Doha law that gave us back some of the Christians' seats.”
FPM's head stated: “Those who are clinging to the 1960's law are the ones that have committed the massacres in Mount Lebanon and occupied people's properties and since then have not provided them with a decent life.”
“And they say co-existence has not been hit,” he remarked.
The Lebanese political powers have so far failed to reach an agreement on an alternative law, threatening to postpone the parliamentary elections that are scheduled for June 16.
Commenting on the calls to extend the terms of several officials in public offices, Aoun said he is against such suggestions.
“We have committed this mistake once and we will not repeat it,” he announced.
Source: Naharnet
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