Al-Rahi Heads on N. American Tour: We Support Electoral Law that Best Represents People
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi denied on Sunday that he supports the adoption of proportional representation for the 2013 parliamentary elections.
He said: “We support an electoral law that best represents the Lebanese people.”
He made his remarks from the airport ahead of travelling on a one-month tour of Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
“I don’t even know what proportionality entails. Officials should deal with the technical aspects of the law,” he explained.
The patriarch hoped that President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, and Prime Minister Najib Miqati would assume their responsibilities in reaching an agreement on a law that would be best suited for Lebanon.
“The president had said that he does not support the 1960 electoral law. It is time for officials to objectively find the best law and not one that only suits ones side,” al-Rahi noted.
He added that the patriarchate will continue its meeting with various political powers that are aimed at reaching an agreement over the electoral law.
President Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun have voiced their support for proportional representation.
Jumblat has meanwhile rejected the proposal, saying that it aims to limit his political weight.
On the government’s survival of a confidence vote on Thursday, he said that the heated three-day parliament session that was aimed at assessing the government’s performance has demonstrated the extent of the political divide in Lebanon.
He noted that it was a blessing that the government survived the vote because the severity of the disputes would have prevented the various political powers from forming a new one.
“We had hoped that the MPs would have addressed the people’s concerns instead of trading accusations,” he stressed.
He therefore urged parliament and the government to assume their responsibilities given the critical local and regional situations.
22 April 2012, 12:26
02
“We had hoped that the MPs would have addressed the people’s concerns instead of trading accusations,”
Well said Batrak unfortunatley we are governed by people ( I am talking about both sides here) who have a bigger ego than they do a social conscience and feel the need to flap their wings and look pretty rather than accepting responsibility of their office.
22 April 2012, 13:41
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in what way does the election law concern religion.... poor country where all the clerics meddle with politics just to keep their power and privileges...
22 April 2012, 14:15
21
We know u are working for the. COuntries best interests but some politician r more concerned about the size of their blocks then anything else
22 April 2012, 15:34
00
monseigneur is beginning to be from the school of late rachid: speaches which can mean anything or nothing and can fit anybody, anywhere that is PP= professional politics.his eminence is learning.
22 April 2012, 17:55
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Go back to your church and do what you supposed to do PRAY and preach the word of god
Poor backward religious Lebanon can wait for the day when he become atheist
22 April 2012, 18:25
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The Ex-patriots want to vote in 2013. Say that clearly Al-Rahi.
22 April 2012, 21:17
11
If I meet him during his visit I will have one question: " how do you keep your hair so dark and well combed?"
