Miqati: Law Obligates us to Hold Elections Based on 1960 Law Should New One Not Be Reached

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stated on Friday that the government is committed to the draft law that it referred to parliament.

“An active law already exists, that of the 1960 law,” which was adopted during the 2009 elections, he remarked.

“We are obligated by the law and constitution to stage the elections before the end of the tenure of the current parliament under an active law,” he explained.

“From a political perspective, I oppose the 1960 law, but the law and constitution allow me to adopt it in this year's polls despite the objection voiced by political powers,” stressed the premier.

“One must distinguish between political and legal positions,” he stated.

From a legal position, the law obligates the government to hold the elections under the active electoral law, he added.

“I urge parliament to convene and take the decision it sees fit. If it fails to do so, then we will have to go ahead with the current active law,” sad Miqati.

Various political powers had voiced their rejection of the amended 1960 law that was used in the 2009 polls.

The government referred in August a draft electoral law based on proportional representation and 13 districts.

An electoral subcommittee has been meeting since January in order to discuss various electoral draft laws, with discussions focusing on a hybrid law that combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems.

They have yet to reach an agreement over a law amid fears that the elections, set for June, may be postponed as a result of the ongoing dispute.

Commenting on the export of gas from Lebanon to Syria, Miqati said that the Lebanese state is not exporting gas to Syria, but these operations are being performed by private companies.

He said: “Lebanon enjoys a free economy and the United Nations Security Council has not taken any resolution to ban free trade with Syria.”

He made his remarks in light of reports and the criticism over the export of gas from Lebanon to Syria given the sanctions imposed on the neighboring country.

“The Lebanese state does not import the green diesel that is being sent to Syria. Some private companies are doing so according to the trade law,” he explained.

“Some sides are demanding that we halt this trade, but according to what law?” he asked.

Several media outlets reported earlier this week that gasoline trucks have headed to Damascus after filling their tankers in Lebanon.

Since the eruption of Syria's war, the cabinet in Lebanon has adopted a policy of disassociation towards the neighboring country's events.

The Lebanese state, however, is obligated to abide by the Arab League and the International decisions taken against the Syrian regime.

Addressing the dispute over the telecom data, Miqati said: “All issues are going ahead as they should.”

“I received and approved all requests referred from the Interior and Defense Ministries,” he added.

“The telecommunications minister is obligated to hand over the requested data,” he explained.

Reports of a dispute with Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui are not true, Miqati stressed.

Security agencies had requested to be handed telecom data to investigate a number of security affairs, but Sehnaoui rejected the demands while Miqati insisted that the work of those agencies shouldn't be disrupted.

“Ministers have to implement decisions before objecting, we can't obstruct the work of the security agencies,” Miqati said in comments published in An Nahar newspaper Tuesday.

The premier referred to Sehanoui on Monday a decision to hand over to security agencies the necessary telecom data according to article 140 of the wiretapping law, which specifies the protection of communication data.

Sehanoui had rejected the request made by Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi and Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji, arguing that the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority didn't approve it.

On former Prime Minister Saad Hariri's statements on Thursday, Miqati said: “I support free speech and respect the views of others.”

Commenting on his proposal that “concessions be made for the sake of the state,” he remarked: “Who among us opposes the state that harbors all powers?”

“This is what we seek and our hand is extended to all sides in that regard,” he declared.

Hariri had remarked on the eighth anniversary of the assassination of his father former PM Rafik Hariri that the regime of Syrian President Bashar will inevitably fall,” calling on Hizbullah to make “concessions.”

“I don’t call for any concessions to be made for March 14 or al-Mustaqbal Movement or Saad Hariri or this or that sect. I am calling for concessions to be made for the Lebanese state, for the constitutional legitimacy, for the law, for justice, for the military and security apparatuses, for coexistence and for Lebanon’s message,” he added.