Aoun: Our Stance on Electoral Law is Not Sectarian, Proportional Representation Must Have Restraints
President Michel Aoun announced Tuesday that his Free Patriotic Movement's stance on the electoral law “is not sectarian,” while stressing that a proportional representation system should have “restraints” or else it would be equivalent to a sudden abolition of political sectarianism.
“Changing the electoral law is aimed at achieving fair representation,” Aoun told his visitors at the Baabda Palace.
“All the proposed electoral laws were binned during discussions because each party was trying to achieve its sect's interest,” he said.
“Electoral laws are not aimed at achieving gains but rather at securing everyone's rights,” the president added.
He noted that three reasons are preventing an agreement on a new electoral law.
“Every leader controlling his sectarian community does not want the minority in that community to be represented and does not want the emergence of an opposition popular bloc,” Aoun pointed out.
“Some parties fear a change in the balance of power, and certainly the balance of power should change, or else we would have kept the 1992 or 2000 law,” he added.
“Each one of them wants to steal some parliamentary seats from 'his neighbor', and 'Christians are everyone's neighbors', and here lies the problem,” Aoun went on to say.
“We are trying to restore the largest number of seats, seeing as we will not be able to restore all seats as required by the equal power-sharing that is stipulated by the constitution,” he explained.
He stressed that the FPM's stance “is not sectarian” but rather aimed at “achieving justice and equality.”
“Today they want a proportional representation law without restraints, and this is almost equivalent to the full abolition of sectarianism, but we are refusing this and demanding restraints, including a qualification system that allows the election of competent candidates who represent their sects, and we are open to any proposal that truly achieves these goals,” Aoun added.
The so-called qualification system proposed by the FPM prevents electors from voting for candidates from other sects in the first round.
The majority of the political parties have dismissed the proposal as “divisive” and counterproductive.
almost 7 years
They are all sectarians and unable to think otherwise.
almost 7 years
so now aoun, bassil and company are not sectarians:)!
almost 7 years
If anybody has been fueling sectarianism in Lebanon for the last 20 years, it is this iranian pawn and his corrupt reformist party.
“All the proposed electoral laws were binned during discussions because each party was trying to achieve its sect's interest,” he said.
sorry but what have you been doing all your political and military career except use 'Christian' rights and 'Christian' existence as a means to advance your political career.
You are no different and if anything you are the worst of the lot.