Al-Rahi Reiterates Calls for Adoption of New Electoral Law
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi reiterated on Tuesday from the airport that the Parliament should approve a new electoral law ahead of any technical term extension.
“The stance that was taken by the Maronite bishops council and our agreement with officials states that the parliament should approve a new electoral law ahead of approving any technical extension for the legislature's mandate,” al-Rahi told reporters ahead of leaving to Poland on a four-day pastoral visit.
He pointed out that extending the parliament's tenure without the approval of a new electoral law would be a “disgrace” after six years of discussions.
“Nothing prevents the adoption of a new electoral law,” he added.
The Maronite bishops council stressed on Monday the need for political powers to reach an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law.
They said in a statement after their monthly meeting: “We reject the extension of parliament's mandate without an agreement over a new vote.”
The support for the extension of the legislature's term that expires on June 20 began growing after the rival parties failed to agree on a new electoral law despite the adoption of the Orthodox plan by the joint parliamentary committees.
The plan considers Lebanon a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own lawmakers under a proportional representation system.
But its criticism paved way for another proposal that combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems
Despite all the efforts no agreement was reached to replace the 1960 law, which adopts the qada an electoral district and is based on the winner-takes-all system.
28 May 2013, 10:15
12
But please can someone explain to me why Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi reiterated is feels he needs to be in Poland? The country is going through a critical stage of its existence absolutely necessitating the presence of all dignitaries form all sects.
28 May 2013, 14:07
10
Al-Rahi is right ...The elections should go forward ... It is painfully obvious that the current leadership namely Mikati and Suleiman need to be replaced with leaders that will take charge of the security forces and place them in a proactive stance.
Tripoli has been raging for weeks yet this leadership has done nothing to halt the violence. Many steps could have been taken including a curfew and warrants for arrest of known perpetrators. Instead Mikati and Suleiman use the situation in Tripoli to benefit chaos.
28 May 2013, 15:02
00
Elections must be staged on time so that people have a chance to throw out the old guard. Allowing the "rotten old mafia" to extend their own terms is by far the worst option.
