Harb Rejects Extension of Parliamentary Term, Says March 14 Exceeded Difficulties
Opposition MP Butros Harb rejected on Sunday the extension of the tenure of the current parliament, stressing that the March 14 alliance was able to bridge the gap among its members.
“In principle I reject extending (the term of the parliament). I have never agreed on violating the constitution,” Harb said in an interview with An Nahar newspaper.
The lawmaker expressed fear that the postponement of polls would lead to security chaos, pointing out that the March 8 coalition's insistence on holding elections according to their conditions would destabilize the country.
A consensus over an electoral law has yet to be reached after the Orthodox Gathering's proposal that considers Lebanon a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system, was opposed by President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Najib Miqati, al-Mustaqbal bloc, the centrist Progressive Socialist Party, and the independent Christian MPs of the March 14 opposition, saying it harms the social fabric and increases sectarian tension.
Harb slammed the majority, accusing them of seeking to press forward the adoption of an electoral law that guarantees that they will remain in power.
Asked if calls by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and the United Nations Security Council on Lebanese officials to hold elections on time would make the opposition yield regarding the electoral law, Harb noted that the March 14 “will never obstruct the polls.”
“Whatever the adopted electoral law was, even if the Orthodox Gathering (proposal) was adopted, we will participate in the (parliamentary) elections,” the MP said.
Suleiman and Miqati have signed a decree that sets the elections on June 9 based on the 1960 law that was used in the 2009 polls over the lack of agreement between the bickering parliamentary blocs.
Their call have drawn the ire of the March 8 majority coalition which has totally rejected the law.
The Batroun MP stressed that the March 14 and 8 alliances should seek to implement “Lebanon's best interest and fortify its democracy.”
Concerning the sharp differences among the March 14 members, Harb said that the opposition was able to overcome the main points of contention.
“The good thing is that we have always agreed on the main principles that gathered us,” the MP told An Nahar.
He noted that dialogue is ongoing between the opposition to resolve the disputes, revealing that a meeting was held Thursday night with al-Mustaqbal to reach common ground over the electoral law.
On Thursday, March 14 alliance leaders stressed on the occasion of the alliance's 8th anniversary that their opposition movement remained united despite attempts to target its cause to see Lebanon a free country, and pledged to go ahead with their “battle” for “permanent peace.”
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