Wednesday, September 11, 2013 6:27:32 AM
Aoun defends Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria civil war
May 19, 2013 · 10:36 am · Post a comment
.. Lebaneseproud .. are you up on this stuff? .. brief insight appreciated if/whenever you have a minute?? ..
Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun defended during a dinner on Saturday evening Hezbollah’s siding with the Syrian regime in its crackdown against the pro democracy uprising, citing the protection of the Lebanese people in Syria as the main cause of the intervention.
“Hezbollah’s intervention in fighting only started when towns inhabited by Lebanese people fell in the hands of the [rebels] and they addressed the issue from outside the Lebanese borders.” He said.
Aoun, a close ally of Hezbollah and Syria said that those sending weapons and funding the war in Syria are acting like “victims.”
“The ones sending weapons and funding the war in Syria are acting like victims,” Aoun said.
Hezbollah militants are leading the fight against rebels in the region of Al-Qusayr in the central province of Homs, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
Fighting has spilled over into Lebanon, with rebels reportedly targeting border towns inside Lebanon in response to Hezbollah involvement in the conflict.
Commenting on the controversial electoral law issue, Aoun stated that “the Orthodox Gathering proposal is the only constitutional electoral law.”
“They are not opposed to the Orthodox proposal because it does not preserve the principle of coexistence, they are only after power and we are striving for justice. That is why we suggested this proposal,” he said.
“Who gave the president the authority to categorize what is constitutional or not? Aoun asked, adding that “this behavior has struck fear into the hearts of many.”
The Orthodox Gathering law which was pronounced dead last Wednesday was strongly backed by Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement , but was rejected by President Michel Suleiman, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the Future Movement, MP Walid Jumblat’s National Struggle Front, and independent Christian March 14 MPs.
Its death came about after the Lebanese Forces and The Future Movement backed by the PSP agreed on a hybrid electoral law which calls for 54% of the MPs to be elected under the majoritarian winner-takes-all system and 46% under the proportional representation system. This draft law was rejected by the Hezbollah-led March 8 opposition.
The failure to reach an agreement over a new electoral law is threatening to postpone the elections [ yup, until Nov. 14 ]and the extension of the term of the current parliament, a move that is opposed by the president and several politicians.
President Suleiman circles reported on Friday that the president opposes extending the term for more than four months.
This extension “must be technical and linked to the staging of the elections,” they said.
While president Suleiman wants to limit the extension to maximum 4 months Speaker Nabih Berri is reportedly insisting that it should be extended for at least 2 years , al Akhbar newspaper reported , stressing that it ( 4 months extension) violates regulations that say that the extension of parliament will entail the extension of the term of all other institutions, including his term as speaker.
Worst thing that ever haoppened to the Christians of Lebanon.
During a press conference last Thursday Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea slammed Aoun, branding him as the worst thing that ever haoppened to the Christians of Lebanon.
Geagea was responding in his press conference to Aoun’s Wednesday attack after the announcemnet of the electoral law deal reached between the Lebanese Forces, The Future Movemnt and the progressive Socialist Party. Aoun was angered by the agreement since it resulted in the death of the Orthodox Gathering proposed electoral law .
Responding to Aoun’s criticism for abandoning the Orthodox electoral law Geagea said: “Hezbollah does not want the Orthodox Gathering’s proposal, it was just performing a political maneuver”.
http://www.yalibnan.com/2013/05/19/aoun-defends-hezbollahs-involvement-in-syria-civil-war/
===== .. hate those sucky ad? links .. this is the article i found first then bumped into the one above ..
Geagea brands Aoun as ‘worst thing for Christians’
May 16, 2013 · 4:49 pm ·
During a press conference on Thursday Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea slammed Free patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, branded him as the worst thing that ever haoppened to the Christians of Lebanon.
Geagea was responding in his press conference to Aoun’s Wednesday attack after the announcemnet of the electoral law deal reached between the Lebanese Forces, The Future Movemnt and the progressive Socialist Party. Aoun was angered by the agreement since it resulted in the death of the Orthodox Gathering proposed electoral law .
Responding to Aoun’s criticism for abandoning the Orthodox electoral law Geagea said: “Hezbollah does not want the Orthodox Gathering’s proposal, it was just performing a political maneuver”.
Geagea added: “Aoun wants the adoption of the 1960's law and his statements are a proof of this. Why did Aoun call for adopting a law based on proportional representation and Lebanon as one district, or the adoption of the cabinet’s proposal if he is so keen on Christians’ rights?
[ dunno .. hope we find out ]
Geagea asked : “Does Aoun’s stance serve the interest of the Christians of Lebanon. The presence of the Christians in Lebanon depends on having a stable , sovereign and secure state. Did the alliance of Aoun with extremist party like Hezbollah serve the interest of the Christians of Lebanon. Did Hezbollah’s occupation of the center of Beirut benefit the Christians. Does Hezbollah’s involvement in the Syrian uprising on the side of the Syrian regime benefit the Chrisitians of lebanon ?
Geagea added: “Did the 2006 war secure Christians’ rights?
Geagea told Aoun: “You cover your failure by attacking the Lebanese Forces.”
http://www.yalibnan.com/2013/05/16/geagea-brands-aoun-as-worst-thing-for-christians/
===== .. ok learned a bit there .. i read the Lebanon June '13 election has been postponed until
Nov. '14, because of political deadlock .. ok .. this old background stuff .. haven't read it yet ..
Lebanon Election Law: Carving up the Next Parliament
Saad Hariri guarantees him a Christian seat in Akkar. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah)
By: Thaer Ghandour .. Published Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Amid the supposed debate over electoral reform, the country’s political bosses are focused
on tinkering with the existing system to maximize their personal and partisan advantages.
At a meeting with his political and media aides before the new year, Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea declared that supporting the election law proposed by the Orthodox Gathering would be madness. The proposal would require each voter to cast their ballots for representatives who have the same sectarian affiliation as themselves.
[ .. so in the USA with a law like that atheists would have to vote for an atheist??? .. read on ]
According to some of those who attended the meeting, Geagea made clear to his acolytes that the LF’s declared support for the proposal is actually little more than posturing for Christian consumption.
Geagea went on to say that he would prefer a voting system based on proportional representation, explaining how this would increase the number of LF deputies in the parliament. He concluded, nonetheless, that his endorsement of a proportional representation voting system would remain contingent on the position of his allies, particularly the Future Movement.
At the gathering, Geagea spelled out the terms under which the LF would be able to operate under the 1960 election law (which favors the smaller sects). Specifically, Geagea explained how the LF could be assured of securing a parliamentary bloc consisting of at least 12 deputies. This can be achieved, according to Geagea, if the following occurs:
1. Saad Hariri guarantees him a Christian seat in Akkar.
2. The Maronite seat in Tripoli is moved to Batroun (not Byblos, as rumored). Although there are more Christians in Byblos than Batroun (making it illogical for Batrounis to have three Christian deputies and Byblos residents to have two), the LF argues that this shift is justified because the Christian seats in Byblos are “hostage by Shia voters,” as they put it.
3. An LF candidate is nominated for one of the Zgharta seats.
4. The LF’s share in Koura is raised from one to two deputies – with the LF thus taking over Nicolas Ghosn’s seat.
5. The Orthodox seat in Beirut’s Third Constituency is moved to the First Constituency (Achrafieh, Rmeil, and Medawar) and made part of the LF’s allocation. The LF intend to nominate their secretary-general Imad Wakim for the seat, which is currently occupied by Atef Majdalani.
6. One of the Armenian seats in Beirut’s First Constituency becomes part of the LF allocation. The LF wants to have an alternative candidate to Serge Torsarkissian.
7. The LF share in Zahleh is kept as is.
LF partisans question why the Phalangists should have the Maronite seat in Aley when support for the LF is stronger in that constituency. They want Hariri to intercede with Walid Jumblatt to grant them the seat. LF partisans also want him to secure the Maronite seat in the Chouf for MP Georges Adwan. They argue that the LF has done a lot for the March 14 coalition, becoming its political mainstay, and that the time has come to repay the favor in parliamentary seats.
In addition to these demands, directed at Hariri and his Saudi sponsors, Geagea hopes to get the Maronite seat in Baalbek-Hermel transferred to Bcharre, giving this constituency three MPs. He is not declaring this openly, however, because of a dispute with locals from Deir al-Ahmar over Geagea’s perceived bid to appropriate their representative for his own stronghold.
In addition to the aforementioned demands, there is also the “mother” of LF demands: ample funding to pay for its electoral battles.
But if Geagea has demands to make, so do the Phalangists and their leader, former President Amin Gemayel. Above all they want a seat secured for MP Samer Saadeh in Batroun. They want it so badly that some Phalangists have for a while been talking about a possible “electoral coordination” deal between Saadeh and minister Gebran Bassil – especially as Bassil is deemed to be strong in coastal Batroun while Saadeh has support in the interior.
The idea being touted is that if Saadeh is not made the March 14 candidate in Batroun, it would be arranged for him to formally resign from the Phalange Party so he could contest the seat without embarrassing party leadership.
The Phalange Party also wants the Burj Hammoud area to be taken out of the Northern Metn constituency. Phalangists argue that it is historically part of Beirut, and should, along with Rmeil, become part of a Fourth Constituency in the capital.
The Phalangists aspire to obtain a seat in Akkar too. They maintain that they cannot remain in partnership with March 14 unless their share of MPs reaches eight. Their main demand, therefore, will be for curbs on “Geagea’s greed.”
The Future movement has its own share of electoral demands as well. Its supporters find fault with the twin-district constituencies approved in the Doha agreement, such as Western Bekaa-Rashaya, Marjayoun-Hasbaya, and Baalbek-Hermel. While conveniently disregarding the former, they want the latter two constituencies split up.
They believe that if Marjayoun and Hasbaya were separated, the Future movement would be able to make a serious breakthrough in the south. This constituency has two MPs: one Sunni, Qasem Hachem, and one Druze, Anwar al-Khalil. Future supporters think these seats should rightfully be theirs and Walid Jumblatt’s respectively.
But the Future movement’s leaders, particularly former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora ad MP Bahia Hariri, are wary of pressing this issue. They do not want to anger Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and appreciate how sensitive it is for him. Redividing the constituency could not only cost Berri’s parliamentary bloc two seats, but also deprive it of its only non-Shia MPs.
As for Baalbek-Hermel, some Future supporters express hopes of being able to challenge the Hezbollah list in Baalbek if the constituency is broken up, though there is not much active discussion of this idea.
But the problems with the 1960 electoral law, as endorsed at Doha, do not end there.
There is also the Western Bekaa-Rashaya constituency. If these two districts were separated, it would give the March 8 coalition the upper hand in the Western Bekaa. The defeat of Abderrahim Mourad’s list there was due to the bloc of Druze voters supporting Walid Jumblatt. Any discussion of separating twin-district constituencies would have to apply here too. Mourad is seeking support for that, on the grounds that nobody can be sure what position Jumblatt will take at the time of the elections.
A different thread of the debate focuses on the major towns. Some participants in the Doha discussions say there was an agreement to separate the main cities – specifically, Tripoli, Sidon, and Zahleh – from their surrounding villages. This was originally in deference to the Hariri family’s concern to secure the positions of Fouad Siniora and Bahia Hariri in Sidon.
If the adjoining villages were included in the constituency, that would improve the chances of rival Osama Saad regaining a parliamentary seat, perhaps along with an ally, as most village voters are not Future Movement supporters. It makes sense for the villages to vote with Sidon, given their proximity to the city and distance from the district of Zahrani into which they were incorporated. Saad and his Popular Nasserist Movement are therefore demanding that they be brought back into the Sidon constituency.
By contrast, in Zahleh, former MP Elie Skaff wants the constituency confined to the town itself – even though he was the one who had originally demanded that it incorporate the Western Bekaa villages. At the time he maintained that he had strong Sunni support and that these villages were historically Skaffist. But theory doesn’t always conform to practice, and Skaff has switched from advocating enlargement to wanting the constituency shrunk.
In Tripoli, meanwhile, nobody is calling for the adjoining villages to be incorporated. Dinnieh, once the summer resort of the northern capital’s political bosses, used to be part of Tripoli. But redrawing that particular constituency is not currently up for discussion.
This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/3674
===== .. grrr .. bit complicated that one .. one more for now .. more background ..
Lebanon’s Orthodox Gathering vote law ‘cannot pass’: PM Mikati
Saturday, 23 February 2013
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati voiced fears that the Orthodox proposal will incite sectarian divisions in the country. (AFP)
By AL ARABIYA
A law stipulating that Lebanese citizens vote for candidates of their own sect, “cannot” be adopted for the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections this year, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Saturday.
The Orthodox Gathering law, which was approved earlier this week by the country’s parliamentary committees, still needs to be passed in a parliament vote to be adopted.
“The Orthodox proposal for the parliamentary elections cannot pass because it violates the essence of Lebanon's existence and mutual coexistence,” the prime minister posted on Twitter.
The prime minister voiced fears that the Orthodox proposal will incite sectarian divisions in the country.
According to the draft law, which has been endorsed by Christian political parties and the
March 8 alliance, each sect would elect its own MPs with the country as a single district.
Mikati called on all rivals to agree over another law that protects the country’s coexistence, according to a report by The Daily Star Lebanon.
“We must all think of ways to achieve real representation for all Lebanese sects through reaching an agreement on an electoral law that does not harm coexistence,” another tweet read.
“The Lebanese Civil War failed to impose division among the people because they insisted on coexistence and overcoming their differences,” said Mikati.
“Are we required today to give in to another type of division or federalism?” he asked.
“If the apparent aim behind the Orthodox proposal is to give sects their rights [for fair representation], what it really does is strike the Lebanese unity,” the prime minister said.
The draft law proposal, which was widely disregarded by Lebanese politicians in late 2011, was immediately rejected by President Michel Suleiman and drew criticism from the Future Movement and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt. Suleiman has indicated that he would challenge the law in court.
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/02/23/267883.html
WHAT IS/WAS THE PROPOSAL?
The Orthodox Proposal .. February 20, 2013
Hereunder is the text of the proposal submitted by Change and Reform bloc MPs Alain Aoun and Neemtallah Abi Nasr:
https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/2013elections/the-orthodox-proposal
.. so the Christian Aoun got rolled is that right? .. voting for your own sect doesn't feel
good in the long run .. i thought the future was about minimizing sectarianism hoohaa ..
May 19, 2013 · 10:36 am · Post a comment
.. Lebaneseproud .. are you up on this stuff? .. brief insight appreciated if/whenever you have a minute?? ..
Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun defended during a dinner on Saturday evening Hezbollah’s siding with the Syrian regime in its crackdown against the pro democracy uprising, citing the protection of the Lebanese people in Syria as the main cause of the intervention.
“Hezbollah’s intervention in fighting only started when towns inhabited by Lebanese people fell in the hands of the [rebels] and they addressed the issue from outside the Lebanese borders.” He said.
Aoun, a close ally of Hezbollah and Syria said that those sending weapons and funding the war in Syria are acting like “victims.”
“The ones sending weapons and funding the war in Syria are acting like victims,” Aoun said.
Hezbollah militants are leading the fight against rebels in the region of Al-Qusayr in the central province of Homs, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
Fighting has spilled over into Lebanon, with rebels reportedly targeting border towns inside Lebanon in response to Hezbollah involvement in the conflict.
Commenting on the controversial electoral law issue, Aoun stated that “the Orthodox Gathering proposal is the only constitutional electoral law.”
“They are not opposed to the Orthodox proposal because it does not preserve the principle of coexistence, they are only after power and we are striving for justice. That is why we suggested this proposal,” he said.
“Who gave the president the authority to categorize what is constitutional or not? Aoun asked, adding that “this behavior has struck fear into the hearts of many.”
The Orthodox Gathering law which was pronounced dead last Wednesday was strongly backed by Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement , but was rejected by President Michel Suleiman, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the Future Movement, MP Walid Jumblat’s National Struggle Front, and independent Christian March 14 MPs.
Its death came about after the Lebanese Forces and The Future Movement backed by the PSP agreed on a hybrid electoral law which calls for 54% of the MPs to be elected under the majoritarian winner-takes-all system and 46% under the proportional representation system. This draft law was rejected by the Hezbollah-led March 8 opposition.
The failure to reach an agreement over a new electoral law is threatening to postpone the elections [ yup, until Nov. 14 ]and the extension of the term of the current parliament, a move that is opposed by the president and several politicians.
President Suleiman circles reported on Friday that the president opposes extending the term for more than four months.
This extension “must be technical and linked to the staging of the elections,” they said.
While president Suleiman wants to limit the extension to maximum 4 months Speaker Nabih Berri is reportedly insisting that it should be extended for at least 2 years , al Akhbar newspaper reported , stressing that it ( 4 months extension) violates regulations that say that the extension of parliament will entail the extension of the term of all other institutions, including his term as speaker.
Worst thing that ever haoppened to the Christians of Lebanon.
During a press conference last Thursday Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea slammed Aoun, branding him as the worst thing that ever haoppened to the Christians of Lebanon.
Geagea was responding in his press conference to Aoun’s Wednesday attack after the announcemnet of the electoral law deal reached between the Lebanese Forces, The Future Movemnt and the progressive Socialist Party. Aoun was angered by the agreement since it resulted in the death of the Orthodox Gathering proposed electoral law .
Responding to Aoun’s criticism for abandoning the Orthodox electoral law Geagea said: “Hezbollah does not want the Orthodox Gathering’s proposal, it was just performing a political maneuver”.
http://www.yalibnan.com/2013/05/19/aoun-defends-hezbollahs-involvement-in-syria-civil-war/
===== .. hate those sucky ad? links .. this is the article i found first then bumped into the one above ..
Geagea brands Aoun as ‘worst thing for Christians’
May 16, 2013 · 4:49 pm ·
During a press conference on Thursday Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea slammed Free patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, branded him as the worst thing that ever haoppened to the Christians of Lebanon.
Geagea was responding in his press conference to Aoun’s Wednesday attack after the announcemnet of the electoral law deal reached between the Lebanese Forces, The Future Movemnt and the progressive Socialist Party. Aoun was angered by the agreement since it resulted in the death of the Orthodox Gathering proposed electoral law .
Responding to Aoun’s criticism for abandoning the Orthodox electoral law Geagea said: “Hezbollah does not want the Orthodox Gathering’s proposal, it was just performing a political maneuver”.
Geagea added: “Aoun wants the adoption of the 1960's law and his statements are a proof of this. Why did Aoun call for adopting a law based on proportional representation and Lebanon as one district, or the adoption of the cabinet’s proposal if he is so keen on Christians’ rights?
[ dunno .. hope we find out ]
Geagea asked : “Does Aoun’s stance serve the interest of the Christians of Lebanon. The presence of the Christians in Lebanon depends on having a stable , sovereign and secure state. Did the alliance of Aoun with extremist party like Hezbollah serve the interest of the Christians of Lebanon. Did Hezbollah’s occupation of the center of Beirut benefit the Christians. Does Hezbollah’s involvement in the Syrian uprising on the side of the Syrian regime benefit the Chrisitians of lebanon ?
Geagea added: “Did the 2006 war secure Christians’ rights?
Geagea told Aoun: “You cover your failure by attacking the Lebanese Forces.”
http://www.yalibnan.com/2013/05/16/geagea-brands-aoun-as-worst-thing-for-christians/
===== .. ok learned a bit there .. i read the Lebanon June '13 election has been postponed until
Nov. '14, because of political deadlock .. ok .. this old background stuff .. haven't read it yet ..
Lebanon Election Law: Carving up the Next Parliament
Saad Hariri guarantees him a Christian seat in Akkar. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah)
By: Thaer Ghandour .. Published Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Amid the supposed debate over electoral reform, the country’s political bosses are focused
on tinkering with the existing system to maximize their personal and partisan advantages.
At a meeting with his political and media aides before the new year, Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea declared that supporting the election law proposed by the Orthodox Gathering would be madness. The proposal would require each voter to cast their ballots for representatives who have the same sectarian affiliation as themselves.
[ .. so in the USA with a law like that atheists would have to vote for an atheist??? .. read on ]
According to some of those who attended the meeting, Geagea made clear to his acolytes that the LF’s declared support for the proposal is actually little more than posturing for Christian consumption.
Geagea went on to say that he would prefer a voting system based on proportional representation, explaining how this would increase the number of LF deputies in the parliament. He concluded, nonetheless, that his endorsement of a proportional representation voting system would remain contingent on the position of his allies, particularly the Future Movement.
At the gathering, Geagea spelled out the terms under which the LF would be able to operate under the 1960 election law (which favors the smaller sects). Specifically, Geagea explained how the LF could be assured of securing a parliamentary bloc consisting of at least 12 deputies. This can be achieved, according to Geagea, if the following occurs:
1. Saad Hariri guarantees him a Christian seat in Akkar.
2. The Maronite seat in Tripoli is moved to Batroun (not Byblos, as rumored). Although there are more Christians in Byblos than Batroun (making it illogical for Batrounis to have three Christian deputies and Byblos residents to have two), the LF argues that this shift is justified because the Christian seats in Byblos are “hostage by Shia voters,” as they put it.
3. An LF candidate is nominated for one of the Zgharta seats.
4. The LF’s share in Koura is raised from one to two deputies – with the LF thus taking over Nicolas Ghosn’s seat.
5. The Orthodox seat in Beirut’s Third Constituency is moved to the First Constituency (Achrafieh, Rmeil, and Medawar) and made part of the LF’s allocation. The LF intend to nominate their secretary-general Imad Wakim for the seat, which is currently occupied by Atef Majdalani.
6. One of the Armenian seats in Beirut’s First Constituency becomes part of the LF allocation. The LF wants to have an alternative candidate to Serge Torsarkissian.
7. The LF share in Zahleh is kept as is.
LF partisans question why the Phalangists should have the Maronite seat in Aley when support for the LF is stronger in that constituency. They want Hariri to intercede with Walid Jumblatt to grant them the seat. LF partisans also want him to secure the Maronite seat in the Chouf for MP Georges Adwan. They argue that the LF has done a lot for the March 14 coalition, becoming its political mainstay, and that the time has come to repay the favor in parliamentary seats.
In addition to these demands, directed at Hariri and his Saudi sponsors, Geagea hopes to get the Maronite seat in Baalbek-Hermel transferred to Bcharre, giving this constituency three MPs. He is not declaring this openly, however, because of a dispute with locals from Deir al-Ahmar over Geagea’s perceived bid to appropriate their representative for his own stronghold.
In addition to the aforementioned demands, there is also the “mother” of LF demands: ample funding to pay for its electoral battles.
But if Geagea has demands to make, so do the Phalangists and their leader, former President Amin Gemayel. Above all they want a seat secured for MP Samer Saadeh in Batroun. They want it so badly that some Phalangists have for a while been talking about a possible “electoral coordination” deal between Saadeh and minister Gebran Bassil – especially as Bassil is deemed to be strong in coastal Batroun while Saadeh has support in the interior.
The idea being touted is that if Saadeh is not made the March 14 candidate in Batroun, it would be arranged for him to formally resign from the Phalange Party so he could contest the seat without embarrassing party leadership.
The Phalange Party also wants the Burj Hammoud area to be taken out of the Northern Metn constituency. Phalangists argue that it is historically part of Beirut, and should, along with Rmeil, become part of a Fourth Constituency in the capital.
The Phalangists aspire to obtain a seat in Akkar too. They maintain that they cannot remain in partnership with March 14 unless their share of MPs reaches eight. Their main demand, therefore, will be for curbs on “Geagea’s greed.”
The Future movement has its own share of electoral demands as well. Its supporters find fault with the twin-district constituencies approved in the Doha agreement, such as Western Bekaa-Rashaya, Marjayoun-Hasbaya, and Baalbek-Hermel. While conveniently disregarding the former, they want the latter two constituencies split up.
They believe that if Marjayoun and Hasbaya were separated, the Future movement would be able to make a serious breakthrough in the south. This constituency has two MPs: one Sunni, Qasem Hachem, and one Druze, Anwar al-Khalil. Future supporters think these seats should rightfully be theirs and Walid Jumblatt’s respectively.
But the Future movement’s leaders, particularly former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora ad MP Bahia Hariri, are wary of pressing this issue. They do not want to anger Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and appreciate how sensitive it is for him. Redividing the constituency could not only cost Berri’s parliamentary bloc two seats, but also deprive it of its only non-Shia MPs.
As for Baalbek-Hermel, some Future supporters express hopes of being able to challenge the Hezbollah list in Baalbek if the constituency is broken up, though there is not much active discussion of this idea.
But the problems with the 1960 electoral law, as endorsed at Doha, do not end there.
There is also the Western Bekaa-Rashaya constituency. If these two districts were separated, it would give the March 8 coalition the upper hand in the Western Bekaa. The defeat of Abderrahim Mourad’s list there was due to the bloc of Druze voters supporting Walid Jumblatt. Any discussion of separating twin-district constituencies would have to apply here too. Mourad is seeking support for that, on the grounds that nobody can be sure what position Jumblatt will take at the time of the elections.
A different thread of the debate focuses on the major towns. Some participants in the Doha discussions say there was an agreement to separate the main cities – specifically, Tripoli, Sidon, and Zahleh – from their surrounding villages. This was originally in deference to the Hariri family’s concern to secure the positions of Fouad Siniora and Bahia Hariri in Sidon.
If the adjoining villages were included in the constituency, that would improve the chances of rival Osama Saad regaining a parliamentary seat, perhaps along with an ally, as most village voters are not Future Movement supporters. It makes sense for the villages to vote with Sidon, given their proximity to the city and distance from the district of Zahrani into which they were incorporated. Saad and his Popular Nasserist Movement are therefore demanding that they be brought back into the Sidon constituency.
By contrast, in Zahleh, former MP Elie Skaff wants the constituency confined to the town itself – even though he was the one who had originally demanded that it incorporate the Western Bekaa villages. At the time he maintained that he had strong Sunni support and that these villages were historically Skaffist. But theory doesn’t always conform to practice, and Skaff has switched from advocating enlargement to wanting the constituency shrunk.
In Tripoli, meanwhile, nobody is calling for the adjoining villages to be incorporated. Dinnieh, once the summer resort of the northern capital’s political bosses, used to be part of Tripoli. But redrawing that particular constituency is not currently up for discussion.
This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.
http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/3674
===== .. grrr .. bit complicated that one .. one more for now .. more background ..
Lebanon’s Orthodox Gathering vote law ‘cannot pass’: PM Mikati
Saturday, 23 February 2013
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati voiced fears that the Orthodox proposal will incite sectarian divisions in the country. (AFP)
By AL ARABIYA
A law stipulating that Lebanese citizens vote for candidates of their own sect, “cannot” be adopted for the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections this year, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Saturday.
The Orthodox Gathering law, which was approved earlier this week by the country’s parliamentary committees, still needs to be passed in a parliament vote to be adopted.
“The Orthodox proposal for the parliamentary elections cannot pass because it violates the essence of Lebanon's existence and mutual coexistence,” the prime minister posted on Twitter.
The prime minister voiced fears that the Orthodox proposal will incite sectarian divisions in the country.
According to the draft law, which has been endorsed by Christian political parties and the
March 8 alliance, each sect would elect its own MPs with the country as a single district.
Mikati called on all rivals to agree over another law that protects the country’s coexistence, according to a report by The Daily Star Lebanon.
“We must all think of ways to achieve real representation for all Lebanese sects through reaching an agreement on an electoral law that does not harm coexistence,” another tweet read.
“The Lebanese Civil War failed to impose division among the people because they insisted on coexistence and overcoming their differences,” said Mikati.
“Are we required today to give in to another type of division or federalism?” he asked.
“If the apparent aim behind the Orthodox proposal is to give sects their rights [for fair representation], what it really does is strike the Lebanese unity,” the prime minister said.
The draft law proposal, which was widely disregarded by Lebanese politicians in late 2011, was immediately rejected by President Michel Suleiman and drew criticism from the Future Movement and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt. Suleiman has indicated that he would challenge the law in court.
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/02/23/267883.html
WHAT IS/WAS THE PROPOSAL?
The Orthodox Proposal .. February 20, 2013
Hereunder is the text of the proposal submitted by Change and Reform bloc MPs Alain Aoun and Neemtallah Abi Nasr:
https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/2013elections/the-orthodox-proposal
.. so the Christian Aoun got rolled is that right? .. voting for your own sect doesn't feel
good in the long run .. i thought the future was about minimizing sectarianism hoohaa ..
It was Plato who said, “He, O men, is the wisest, who like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing”
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