Report: Phalange Stands Out in Election Registrations over 1960 Law Row
The Phalange party has yet to nominate its candidates for the parliamentary elections although its main allies in the March 14 coalition – al-Mustaqbal movement and the Lebanese Forces – registered for the polls.
An Nahar daily said Saturday that the Phalange could reject filing applications for its candidates for holding onto a decision reached in Bkirki along with the three main Christian parties not to run in the elections based on the 1960 law, which they described as “dead and buried.”
During a meeting held under Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in Bkirki last month, Maronite leaders pledged that they would not run for elections under the law that was used in the 2009 polls.
The meeting was attended by Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, Marada movement chief Suleiman Franjieh, Phalange MP Sami Gemayel and LF MP George Adwan.
Although the Phalange was not part of the 403 candidates that have so far registered to run for the June polls, the other Christian parties made on Friday their registrations at the interior ministry in addition to al-Mustaqbal.
The Phalange seemed to be the only party standing out of the March 14 alliance.
The coordinator of the coalition's general-secretariat, Fares Soaid, told An Nahar daily however that March 14 respects constitutional deadlines and does not fear to run in the elections although it rejects the 1960 law.
The March 14 parties were sending a clear message through the registration of their candidates that they reject to hand over the country to Hizbullah and its allies in the March 8 coalition.
He accused them of wanting to extend parliament's mandate for two years over the failure of the rival parties to agree on a new electoral law.
Despite the rush to file applications ahead of Monday’s deadline, there is a huge probability that the polls would be postponed amid increased consultations between Speaker Nabih Berri and other top officials to extend parliament’s four-year term that expires on June 20.
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