March 8, 14 Forces Expand Consultations on Electoral Law as Geagea Meets Hariri in Jeddah
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Speaker Nabih Berri is continuing his efforts to reach an agreement among various political powers on a new parliamentary electoral law, reported An Nahar daily on Tuesday, as Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea met ex-PM Saad Hariri in Jeddah on Tuesday evening.
Talks between Geagea and Hariri tackled the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, according to Future TV which is affiliated with Hariri's Mustaqbal Movement.
Head of the Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora and Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra had also visited the former premier in Saudi Arabia recently, reported An Nahar.
It said that talks between Hariri and Geagea would focus on the local Lebanese situation and the parliamentary electoral law in particular.
Prominent political sources revealed that consultations were ongoing on the March 8 and 14 fronts to resolve the dispute over the law, with Berri expanding his contacts to different political, parliamentary, and even religious forces.
The government approved in August an electoral draft law based on proportional representation and 13 electoral districts.
The opposition and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat had voiced their rejection of the law.
Opposition MPs Georges Adwan, Sami Gemayel and Butros Harb proposed an electoral law based on 50 small-sized districts in a winner-takes-all system, while a plan suggested by MP Michel Aoun’s Change and Reform bloc would allow every sect to elect its own MPs under a proportional representation system with Lebanon as a single district.
Meanwhile, the joint parliamentary committees are expected to convene on Thursday in order to approve the formation of a subcommittee, comprised of March 8 and 14 officials, to reach an agreement on an electoral law that appeases all sides.
09 October 2012, 10:28
45
Dear Karim_m1
I'm a regular Naharnet Reader. But I do not post comments.
This time I had because to be honest with you, I am sick and tired of your daily disgusting comments on each and every important article.
Please get a life...
09 October 2012, 10:30
46
Do they not see the bad side of Wahabism ? And all what they do helping the extremists ? Can geagea convince his Saudi Sponsors to build a Church on their country ? How can the Quatar ruler be Pro American and support the Moslem brothers ? Then why don' t they come to their senses .
09 October 2012, 15:06
43
Slash... Man what are you talking about? What if Aoun met with nassrallah in Tehran to discuss the upcoming elections? Nasrallah with all his faults, like him or hate him, he is Lebanese, who lives in Lebanon. Hariri is Saudi, born and raised in Saudi Arabia and he still lives there. He only first visited Lebanon after his father was assisinated. He then overlook the sectarian divide of the Lebanese nation (something his father, with all his corruption faults, tried so hard to avoid). Saadadine was then removed from the prime minister office and returned to his home in Ryahd, never to return. He is still a mp and won't return unless through Damascus.
How is this acceptable? How shamefull is geagea if Aoun is such a dog for reconciling with Syria after they left Lebanon? Something he always said he would do if they left?
09 October 2012, 12:27
00
meeting in jeddah , meeting in riad meeting in cairo ,comes after cairo lausanne , ..taef ,..
why our leaders have to meet in foreign cities with chaperon always
nothing will work till our so called leaders (i call them agents for other countries )meet in lebanon in any lebanese city without chaperons
then it will be the decision 100 % lebanese
and it will have a great chance of working
god bless 10452
09 October 2012, 13:29
04
Once again, if a law with13 large districts is not acceptable to one half, and a law based on 50 small districts is not acceptable by the other half, then why not settle for a law basedon mid-size districts, say 30 to 35 districts? That sounds like a win win from my standpoint.
Come on guys, meet half way and settle the damn electoral law dispute. Let's move on!
09 October 2012, 14:46
22
This article is in No Way related to Wahabism. Geagea went to see his ally Hariri who is currently living between Saudi Arabia and France. What does wahabism have to do with that!!??
We do not want Wahabism, Salafism, Saudi Arabia, Iran nor Syria. We do want a free, Independant, state... and when I say "WE" I mean m14 people. It is you M8 who are married to Bashar el Assad (Aoun/Mikati/Frangie/Nasrallah...) and Iran (Hezbollah) (yes, Hassan has 2 brides). Stop trying to justify your "fraternal" ties with these nations by trying to make up a relation between M14 and KSA that is in no way comparable!
09 October 2012, 15:15
33
The patriot, this has everything to do with Wahhabism. This is a war between Sunni fundamentalism (aka al Qaida) and Shiite expansionism. When America invaded Iraq, the king of jordan said that a Shiite crescent was reaching over the middle east. From Iran, Iraq, Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon and "iran controlled" Hamas in Palestine. This was a declaration of Muslim civil war. Turkey is only the newest player. Do you think that there would be war in Syria if they were not allied with Iran? Saudi Arabia invaded Bahrain and that was crushing terrorists. But car bombs at a Damascus school because it's close to a military base and bombs at bus stops are not terrorism?
This is a Muslim civil war between extremist Sunni and Iranian backed players. With Israel laughing all the way to the mountain top of soloman's temple
09 October 2012, 16:23
22
Ya slash, al Qaida has nothing to do with Wahhabism?Who should go get a brain or educate themselves?I am not justifying any extremist groups unlike you.Whether his family is originally from Lebanon is not in question.He is born and raised in Suadi and has questionable loyalty to the royal family before the republic of lebanon!
I don't defend or forget the fact that Syria committed many terrorist acts against Lebanon.3 of my family were kidnapped and tortured by them.Plus my uncle was killed at a check point because he was a kataeb member from Zahle!So please dont carelessly use the many different martyrs of the Lebanese war as a point in our conversation.
But do you think that those fighting the Syrian regime, are innocent of crimes in Lebanon?The enemy of my enemy is my friend, but also the friend of my friend is my friend!
09 October 2012, 16:30
32
In the end... The minorities are the losers. Who is the biggest minority in the Middle east? I believe that geagea and Aoun truly personally believe in Lebanon and Lebanon would not and will not continue to exist without the Christians! My personal belief is that they knew a Muslim civil war was brewing and they arrange to decide their political support between the sides.... But now thing have gotten too far and all sides need to come back together or we will be torn apart.
09 October 2012, 22:19
12
It's so evident (and so terribly boring) of an excuse that the M8 camp and (especially Aouwn and his followers) keep using; Wahabism or Salafism to change the subject at hand and scare people into believing that Sunnis = Wahabism = Salafism and every other "ism" on the planet..why??? because they are politically bankrupt with no defense except scaring people, I remember when Bush used that strategy to pass undemocratic laws...scare people into submission...pathetic really...you Aouwnis go get a life or some substance to use and please stop boring us with your Wahabism = Salafism and every other "ism" on the planet.
