Al-Rahi Briefs Suleiman on Rome Meetings

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi is expected to hold talks on Friday with President Michel Suleiman to brief him on the so-called “Rome agreement,” ahead of a wide meeting with the main Christian leaders.

Al-Liwaa newspaper reported that al-Rahi sought to meet with Suleiman to inform him of the agreement that was agreed upon with Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Miqati during their recent visit to Rome.

Informed sources said in comments published in An Nahar newspaper that Suleiman expressed irritation over “Rome agreement.”

Media reports said that the two-page document states that political foes should consent on a hybrid electoral law that divides the parliamentary seats equally based on winner-takes-all and proportional systems or 60 percent of MPs be elected through the winner-takes-all and 40 according to the proportional system.

The document also calls on the formation of a senate, where senators would be elected according to the Orthodox Gathering proposal.

The proposal also suggests the formation of an independent authority overseeing the elections and carrying out the senate elections and parliamentary elections on the same day.

In addition to the formation of a new cabinet to supervise the polls.

Contradicting reports on the date of Bkirki meeting with main Christian leaders appeared to the surface.

Al-Liwaa newspaper said that the meeting that was reportedly expected to be held on Friday might be postponed to Wednesday if the Christian leaders failed to unite their stance over the two-pages agreement.

A source close to al-Rahi told the daily that the patriarch didn't call yet for a meeting, reiterating that al-Rahi will contact the Christian parties in order to set a day for the meeting.

Change and Reform bloc MP Alain Aoun told al-Joumhouria newspaper that the Free Patriotic Movement will attend the meeting with “positive attitude.”

However, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun rejected on Tuesday any alternative to the Orthodox Gathering electoral draft-law.

Al-Rahi stressed on Thursday upon his return from the Vatican that any proposal other than the 1960 law, which is based on winner-takes-all system, has his blessing.

Lebanese rival parties are divided over the electoral law after Suleiman, Miqati, al-Mustaqbal bloc, the PSP, and the independent Christian MPs of the March 14 opposition voiced rejection to the Orthodox Gathering proposal that considers Lebanon a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system.

Suleiman and Miqati have signed a decree that sets the elections on June 9 based on the 1960 law that was used in the 2009 polls over the lack of agreement between the bickering parliamentary blocs.

Their call have drawn the ire of the March 8 majority coalition, which has rejected the law.