Ghanem Rejects 'Civil War's Legitimate Cover' as Ferzli Defends Orthodox Proposal

MP Robert Ghanem warned on Monday that the adoption of the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal would further isolate the Lebanese sects, calling for a draft-law that achieves real representation for all Lebanese to end the country's political crisis.

The new “civil war will have a legitimate cover” if the Orthodox Gathering proposal is adopted, Ghanem warned at a press conference he held in parliament.

The constitution came as a tool for justice and ended the war between the Lebanese while preserving the division of power between Christians and Muslims, he said.

But he lamented that the Orthodox proposal, which divides Lebanon into a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own lawmakers under a proportional representation system, would “lead to more sectarianism and divisions.”

“How could we isolate Lebanon's factions?” he wondered. “Who would guarantee that we won't hear future demands to elect the president by Christians only and allow Sunnis to choose the prime minister and Shiites the speaker?”

Stressing on the “unconstitutionality” of the Orthodox proposal, Ghanem called for the adoption of an electoral draft-law that guarantees the best representation for all and becomes the starting point for the solution to the country's political crisis.

He advised the establishment of a senate to give all sects, mainly Christians, their rights, and said administrative decentralization will consolidate democracy.

Ghanem's press conference came minutes after former lawmaker Elie Ferzli said after a meeting of the Orthodox Gathering in Ashrafiyeh that the proposal is “constitutional and has more positive than negative aspects.”

“Our objective is not aimed at creating splits among the factions,” he said.

The proposal is the true solution to the representation problem in parliament, he said, urging Christian parties to remain united to end the “injustice” against them.

The draft-law has been endorsed by Christian political parties and the March 8 majority alliance. But it has been severely criticized by the opposition al-Mustaqbal movement, the National Struggle Front of centrist MP Walid Jumblat and March 14 opposition alliance's independent Christian MPs and politicians.

Speaker Nabih Berri is procrastinating on calling for a parliamentary session to approve the Orthodox proposal after it was adopted by the joint parliamentary committees.

He has said that there won't be any National Assembly session amid a lack of agreement on an electoral draft-law.