Aoun Responds to Suleiman: Political Rights Subject to Constitution, Not Votes
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun criticized on Thursday President Michel Suleiman's recent statements in which he criticized some ministers for violating government consensus over the parliamentary electoral law.
Aoun said in a statement: “The issue of the electoral law should not only be discussed through national consensus, but it is also an issue of political rights stipulated by the constitution.”
“The electoral law helps ensure that the concerned people's rights are met,” he added.
“Political rights are therefore subject to legal and constitutional articles, not votes,” explained Aoun.
Suleiman had said at the beginning of a cabinet session Thursday: “There has been talk that the president has violated the Christian consensus over an electoral law, and that is not true.”
“How could I have violated a consensus that I was not consulted over?” he wondered in reference to his opposition to the Orthodox Gathering electoral draft law that enjoys the agreement of a Christian four-party committee comprised of the Phalange Party, Marada Movement, FPM, and Lebanese Forces.
Suleiman added that some non-Christian parties were not consulted over the agreement on the Orthodox Gathering proposal.
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