Safadi Slams Adoption of Orthodox Law, Calls for 'State of Political Emergency'
Finance Minister Mohammed al-Safadi expressed on Wednesday his disbelief over the Christians' approval of the Orthodox Gathering parliamentary electoral law, saying that these forces that have been leaders in “national partnership and modernity” have been forced to “isolate themselves in a departure from their pioneering role.”
He therefore urged in a statement “President Michel Suleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri, due to their respective Christians and Shiite role, to announce a state of political emergency that would help the Lebanese return to national dialogue.”
“The dialogue would serve to address all concerns, without hesitation, because facing the truth would rectify the mistake,” he remarked.
“Lies, arrogance, defiance, and spreading regional crises to Lebanon would only bring about chaos in Lebanon,” he added.
“Honest dialogue is necessary from us Lebanese before it is too late and we must designate the fair conditions that would dictate coexistence in a nation we have paid dearly for to keep sovereign and independent,” Safadi said.
“Lebanese unit is the greatest loser in the joint parliamentary committees' adoption of a sectarian electoral law,” he continued.
“Neither Christian nor Shiite camp was victorious, but their fear over their fate was the victor to an extent that they have become separated from the Sunni partner under the excuse of defending rights,” said the minister.
“The electoral laws that have been adopted since 1992 have not only been unjust against the Christians, but against all the Lebanese, because they helped impose sectarian hegemony over our political and daily lives,” he remarked.
“These laws encouraged corruption and decreased hope that a civil state, where all citizens are equal without discrimination, would be established,” he noted.
“The erosion of political life in Lebanon from national principles towards sectarian ones is a sign of an existential crisis that should first be recognized and then tackled in depth and with understanding and openness,” he stressed.
It first in foremost needs responsible stances from Muslim leaders “as we should ask ourselves what forced the Christians to such isolation,” Safadi said.
The Orthodox Gathering proposal calls for a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system.
It was adopted by the joint committees on Tuesday despite the withdrawal of al-Mustaqbal, National Struggle Front and independent opposition Christian lawmakers from the session, who have repeatedly warned that its adoption would fuel sectarian divisions in Lebanon.
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