Al-Mustaqbal, Phalange Hold Intense Meetings on Electoral Draft-Law
Officials from former Prime Minister Saad Hariri's al-Mustaqbal movement and its March 14 opposition ally the Phalange party held several meetings on Thursday to discuss the controversial electoral draft-law.
Phalange MP Sami Gemayel visited al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc chief Fouad Saniora. The talks were attended by al-Mustaqbal MP Ahmed Fatfat and Hariri's aide former Minister Mohammed Shatah.
A terse statement carried by the National News Agency said the 90-minute talks focused on the current situation and electoral draft-laws.
Shatah, who later visited Phalange leader Amin Gemayel, said: “Al-Mustaqbal is seeking to find a real solution to Christian fears by suggesting a draft-law that is based on the constitution and coexistence.”
“My visit to Gemayel is an additional proof of the political and national alliance’s strategy and a determination to find a solution to the controversial issues, mainly the electoral-law,” he said.
Shatah expressed support to holding the parliamentary elections on time.
He denied that ties between the different factions of the March 14 opposition had been cut over the controversy that erupted on the electoral draft-law.
The Phalange and the Lebanese Forces, both major Christian parties of the March 14 opposition, have announced support to the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal which calls for a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs in a proportional representation system.
But both parties have announced their openness to discuss any electoral draft-law that guarantees the best representation for all the Lebanese.
Their ally al-Mustaqbal has rejected proportionality and said the proposal harms the Lebanese social fabric.
“The Orthodox proposal would superficially resolve the fears of the Christians but in reality it would backfire,” Shatah said.
over 11 years
Time to move away from a sect-based system to a citizen-based one.
over 11 years
Agreed
over 11 years
yes most definitely
over 11 years
Al-Mustaqbal, or even better, the anglo version called the Future Movement, is a cancer in Lebanese society and is harming the social fabric since 1992. Those who reject the Orthodox Proposal would also be rejecting real partnership = Al-Mustaqbal = Salafists = Al Qaeda = FSA Supporters = Terrorists.
over 11 years
You are an idiot playing on people fears of extremists (That’s getting old)...The voice of Moderation is Al Mustaqbal...God bless Sheikh Saad and M14.
over 11 years
the filthy zionist scum blessed so called lebanese political leader that spent less time in lebanon that even i, emigrant did
over 11 years
Mustaqbal is the voice of moderation and civility in Lebanon...but we do need a true secular Lebanese society...
over 11 years
lol
th filthy zionist scum hallucinate that wahabi party is the voice of moderation and civility in lebanon
over 11 years
You filthy Irani jihadist scum, there is nothing glorious about devil worshipers twisting the message of the Qur'an to do their evil bidding of terrorism and oppression at gunpoint. You and everyone like you including your glorious resistance and all who twist any religion to do harm are une tache noir on Lebanon.
Let us do some math here. Christians in Lebanon are at most 37 percent of the population but have 50 percent of members of parliament. But all citizens have equal rights to vote for any of the candisates. Must be unfair (only in lebanon). Now we want to only allow the 37 percent of the population to vote for 50 percent of the MPs but only within their sects. Dito for the other 50 percent. Now that is fair (only in lebanon). No one tells me what will happen when christians are 20 percent of population? Time to move away from a sect-based system and a citizen-based one.