Independent March 14 MPs: Berri Should've Placed More than One Draft Law on Parliament's Agenda
Independent March 14 lawmakers renewed on Tuesday their rejection of the Orthodox Gathering parliamentary electoral draft law, saying that it “represents a threat to Lebanon and all of its sects.”
MP Butros Harb said after a meeting for the MPs: “Speaker Nabih Berri should have placed more than one electoral law on parliament's agenda on Wednesday.”
He explained that parliament's regulations allow more than one law to be discussed, questioning why the speaker had only placed a single draft law on the agenda.
He noted that several electoral draft laws had been discussed and therefore they should have been included for Wednesday's session.
Parliament is set to convene to vote on the Orthodox Gathering proposal, which was rejected by President Michel Suleiman, caretaker Premier Najib Miqati, the Mustaqbal bloc, and National Struggle Front of MP Walid Jumblat.
The proposal considers Lebanon a single electoral district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system.
Its opponents claim that it encourages extremism and leads to more sectarianism in the country. But the March 8 alliance along with the Lebanese Forces and Phalange Party from March 14 stress that the plan is the only way to guarantee the best representation of Christians.
The Mustaqbal bloc, National Struggle Front, March 14's independent Christian lawmakers, Miqati and caretaker Minister of State Ahmed Karami are boycotting Wednesday's session.
Addressing efforts to form a new government, Harb slammed the “blackmail” imposed by the March 8 camp against Salam.
He urged the premier-designate to follow his convictions and resist “succumbing to the other camp's conditions.”
The MP explained that the president and prime minister are entitled by the constitution to come up with a government line-up that they deem suitable for Lebanon, without having to be subject to extortion from political powers.
“We call on all sides to rise above petty and sectarian interests and exert efforts to form a cabinet that serves the country,” Harb said.
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