Miqati Reiterates Criticism of Orthodox Proposal, Says it Incites Division
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Prime Minister Najib Miqati slammed on Saturday the Orthodox Gathering electoral draft law, stressing that the proposal will not be adopted as it violates the “essence of Lebanon's existence and mutual coexistence.”
“We must achieve real representation for all Lebanese sects through reaching an agreement on an electoral law that does not harm coexistence,” Miqati said via twitter.
He pointed out that the 1975-1990 war, which took the lives of at least 150,000 people, failed to divide the Lebanese and creating a federal system as they sought to overcome the obstacles.
The polls are likely to be postponed if the parliament gives the green light to the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal that was approved by the joint parliamentary committees on Tuesday.
It divides Lebanon into a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system.
But the proposal has been rejected by al-Mustaqbal bloc, the centrist National Struggle Front of MP Walid Jumblat, and March 14 opposition’s Christian independent MPs. It has been also criticized by President Michel Suleiman.
“Are we asked today to surrender to another kind of division or a disguised federation,” Miqati wondered.
He hailed the will of “most” Lebanese to coexist under one nation, saying: “It would be unfair to deprive them from their right by adopting an electoral law such as the Orthodox proposal.”
“The obvious purpose behind the Orthodox proposal is to give all sects their rights, but it was really found to hit the Lebanese unity deeply and to split the spiritual families,” Miqati added.
23 February 2013, 12:53
63
Miqati is right ... the Gathering proposal invites division ... The problem for Miqati and Suleiman is that it is more than a sectarian division, it is a division between those that want to clean up Lebanon, the FPM, and those that want the corrupt business as usual, M14.
24 February 2013, 10:53
01
dream on nitwit--FPM is just as bad as the other parties--the reason the FPM wants the proposal is because it elevates the power of the parties and decreases the power of the people.
of course, i don't expect some indoctrinated idiots to understand that because they don't like getting facts in the way of their arguments.
23 February 2013, 12:51
00
All Sunni leaders from Mikati, Safadi all three Karame, Hoss, Hariri, Siniora even Ossama Saad are against the Ferzli plan. The only Sunni to come out in favor of it is Omar Bakri who Hassin Na7ess Allah sprung out of prison back in October, coincidence?
23 February 2013, 13:56
72
Exactly correct ... the Sunnis and Druze have been gerrymandering the Christian vote. The current system is designed for stagnation to reward the Hariri mob, Islamists and Jumblat's shrinking Druze population.
23 February 2013, 14:25
34
you fail to understand that there are many christians in shouf and aley who are PSP supporters and will vote to WJ and no one else. For you to simplify matters along a stone age old law that divides lebanon into sects is a very dangerous and unprecedented event that needs to be stopped at whatever cost.
23 February 2013, 14:37
51
We shall see ... Jumblat is certainly worried about his position. Lebanon is headed for strong party politics ... The many parties that now exist will be absorbed into the stronger parties ...
23 February 2013, 16:21
12
"The many parties that now exist will be absorbed.... "
Do you know what this means? The end of the plural society... A blow to democracy!
23 February 2013, 16:01
13
You do not screw the whole country, as a mean to screw Harir or Jumblatt. In a polarized country like Lebanon, we should try and stir away from religion. This law is like a miracle grow for religious segregation. It will also enhance extremism in each sect, and other sects have no say to elect moderates. Hizbullah like will emerge out of ever single sect. RIP Lebanon.
23 February 2013, 17:50
23
not at all but as i know you seek for justice and objectiveness i just reminded you that you forgot to mention M8 too....
23 February 2013, 16:30
23
I care about the country not certain leaders, or religious fanatics. I have no respect for Jumblatt, Aoun, or Hizbullah... If you want Lebanon to be a country for all its citizens, and avoid recurrent civil war, sectarian tensions, or extremism, you got to stir away from isolating each sect in a shell. All Lebanese should elect all reps, one unit, one ( Daera). That's the only way to shut the extremist of any color.
23 February 2013, 21:28
03
dear FT, its interesting how you just focus on one point, and ignore the whole implication of this orthodox law: whats so good that each sect is being isolated to elect their own, instead of integrating all lebanese in a real, unified, democratic elections. this way all lebanese will vote for the moderate in their or others sects. Do not be suicidal, kill the country to kill "Jumby". your essence for defending or opposing an election law should be: whats better for lebanon.
23 February 2013, 22:13
12
small electoral districts is the way to go - it is the same anywhere you go in the world - or at least in the places where real democracy work. voters will elect represantaives from their area who know them and have direct knowledge of the needs of the ppl they represent.
The orthodox law or the one district law are only taking lebanon into the unknown and will destroy the fabric of the lebanese society that we all want to rebuild. This will be worst than the war itself - but for aoun and his supporters - this they will never understand nor they will accept. He claims to be the new coming christ and as a christian i dont want this guy to have anything to do with me period.
23 February 2013, 22:49
02
thatsit...the way lebanon is: each town is usually one sect. you are proposing each sect to elect its own on a town scale. thats not better than the orthodox way. You want to compare lebanon to other democratic countries, thats fine. Do you see NYC electing its own, buffalo, Albany, Syracuse , Nassau or suffolk county electing their national rep. you know the answer. M8 or M14, even you are talking from a narrow, sect oriented mind. Grow up lebanese, or go back to your Phoenician era, where each town is a kingdom.
24 February 2013, 10:19
10
Jumblat is against the law because he receives many more MPs than what he represents which is the main representative of the Druze. it's crazy that he has Christian MPs in his bloc as 0.1percent of Christians would not even vote for him. Look at the demographics of the chouf due to the massacres he perpetrated.
-The Future movement has monopolised the Sunni communities vote and will lose out to other independent figures. After bankrupting the country through thievery and incompetence they have 0 legitimacy amongst any part of the Christian electorate as technocrats so why should they receive any Christian MP seats??Who do Bassem Chabb or Nabil de Freige represent???
