Geagea Slams Aoun, Accuses him of Seeking to Hold Polls Based on 1960 Law
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea lashed out on Tuesday at Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, accusing him of “seeking to carry out the elections based on the 1960 electoral law.”
“The FPM's endeavors are considered a crime and the only solution to thwart its attempts is to hold a parliamentary session and vote on a new electoral law as soon as possible,” Geagea said in comments published in al-Akhbar newspaper.
The Christian leader pointed out that his party is holding onto carrying out elections and rejects proposals to extend the tenure of the parliament.
Geagea slammed Aoun for stating that he agrees on holding the polls based on the 1960 law, which is based on winner-takes-all system, if the rival parties failed to reach consensus over the adoption of the Orthodox Gathering proposal.
“It seems that Aoun has been planning all along to hold the elections according to the 1960 law,” he noted.
Aoun said during an interview on MTV on Monday that the 1960 electoral law “will impose itself on us,” rejecting the extension of parliament's term.
Geagea said that the only constitutional solution is to vote on a new electoral law at the parliament, however he said that Speaker Nabih Berri is “not seeking to implement this choice.”
The LF leader said that the “only way his party would agree to extending the term of the parliament is if it was for a short period and to agree on an electoral law other than the 1960.”
“Holding the polls is extremely important to maintain stability and halt chaos,” Geagea said.
He told al-Akhbar newspaper that if the Lebanese foes failed to assume their responsibilities regarding the elections then “any international pressure will not have an impact on them.”
The parliamentary electoral subcommittee failed on Monday to reach an agreement over a new electoral law and Berri is yet to set a date for a new session.
Failure to reach consensus over an electoral law has raised fears of a political vacuum in Lebanon. In absence of consensus, the other two alternatives are holding the polls according to the 1960 law or extending the term of the current parliament.
An amended version of the 1960 law was adopted in the 2009 parliamentary elections, but the majority of the political blocs are refusing to adopt it for this year's polls.
The Orthodox Gathering law has meanwhile been rejected by President Michel Suleiman, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati, the Mustaqbal bloc, MP Walid Jumblat's National Struggle Front, and independent Christian March 14 MPs, however it was strongly backed by Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement.
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