Gemayel Says Neutral Cabinet Can't Shield Lebanon from Crises: Indicators Reveal Elections Will Be Postponed

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel stated on Tuesday that a neutral cabinet cannot face the huge challenges ahead of Lebanon, stressing that the country is in “desperate need of a rescue government that pushes for consensus over an electoral law”.

“There is an international economic crisis and the future cabinet must face all challenges because if a problem hits Lebanon, no country is available to help us,” Gemayel elaborated in an interview on NBN television.

"There is an economic crisis in Lebanon and the situation necessitates a rescue cabinet”.

The Phalange leader said that the priority now is for adopting an electoral law, revealing that there are several factors currently missing, which indicates that the elections will not be held on time.

“We want the elections to be held on time. It can only be postponed after a mutual agreement on an electoral law is reached,” he stated.

Gemayel said: “Our stance towards adopting the Orthodox Gathering's draft electoral law is clear and we considered that it would serve well if the elections were to be held on time”.

He, however, rejected the 1960's law considering that it is “illegal if several factors are taken into consideration”.

"Several indicators reveal that (Free Patriotic Movement leader) MP Michel Aoun and his party are preparing to submit their candidacy for an election based on the 1960's law,” he revealed.

“We want a law that gets the endorsement of 51 MPs at the parliament and that's where the difficulty is,” he pointed out.

“We care about national partnership and we do not want a parliament in which there is a clear rift between its components”.

The Orthodox proposal was approved at the joint parliamentary committees and it enjoys the support of the FPM, Marada Movement, Lebanese Forces, and Phalange Party.

The law, which divides Lebanon into a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system, was rejected by President Michel Suleiman, caretaker Premier Najib Miqati, the Mustaqbal bloc, independent March 14 MPs, and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat,, citing that it fuels sectarian divisions in Lebanon.

Commenting on Prime Minister Najib Miqati's “brave resignation”, Gemayel expressed that it was a “positive shock”: “We have never supported his cabinet and the resignation could be considered the beginning of rethinking the best interest of Lebanon”.

Gemayel said communication with other factions in the country is ongoing regarding choosing the future head of the cabinet, denying having nominated any names.

“The government's type will dictate and indicate who's our candidate for premiership”.

He remarked: “ We do not have a veto against any name and it is still too soon to discuss the Phalange's participation in the council of ministers”.

Miqati resigned last month over differences between cabinet members on the formation of the authority that would oversee the elections and the extension of the tenure of Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, who handed over his post to Brig. Gen. Roger Salem after reaching the age of retirement.

President Michel Suleiman set April 5 and 6 as the dates of the consultations to name a new prime minister in Lebanon.

On the relation with PSP leader MP Walid Jumblat, Gemayel said the Druze leader has “from the beginning adopted a neutral stand and that's what encouraged communication with him'”.

“We care about strengthening the relations with Jumblat and no peace can be attained in Lebanon if there is an absence of accord in Mount Lebanon”.

“We are reaching out to the PSP and so is al-Mustaqbal,” he pointed out.