The following are summaries of today's major stories published in the
Arabic press. LBCI does not edit press digest articles for content, giving
English-language readers insight into the various views expressed in newspapers
across the Arab world.
MP Sami
Gemayel told
An-Nahar Daily on Sunday that the coming two months will be tough
and tiring and will witness intensive negotiations over the electoral law both at
Bkerke and at Parliament.
Gemayel assured
that the upcoming parliamentary elections will not be held according to the
1960s electoral law for one simple reason: Hezbollah is sure that this law will
not give it the majority it needs at the Parliament.
“This whole
issue will be decided through intensive negotiations and agreements”, Gemayel
said.
Gemayel
expected that the different parties will adopt a democratic approach to reach a
law with unknown results, “a law that would not guarantee in advance the
victory of one party over the other.”
“The 1960s
law would guarantee the victory of March 14 while the law based on proportional
representation would guarantee that of March 8”, he concluded.
- Ongoing attempts to reach a consensual electoral law
Sources close to the Future Movement told
An-Nahar
Daily on Sunday that the Movement is sparing no effort to bring March 14’s
Christians and MP Walid Jumblatt together in order to reach a consensus over
the new electoral law.
The sources pointed out that the head of the Future
bloc Fouad Siniora reiterated and is still reiterating that the concerns of all
parties must be taken into consideration.
In this regard, An-Nahar reported that Maronite
Patriarch Beshara Rai will form a panel of experts to compare the electoral law
based on proportional representation supported by March 8 and the one based on
smaller districts put forth by March 14.
Christian parliamentary sources told
Al-Hayat Daily on Sunday that the only thing the members of Bkerke’s follow-up
committee agreed on is the rejection of the current electoral law, which is
that of the 1960s, dividing Lebanon into 24 electoral districts. Meanwhile, Christian
parties and leaders are still in disagreement over a possible alternative.
The sources considered that the
positivity emanating from Patriarch Rai’s call for a meeting will renew communication
between Christian leaders who had exchanged accusations over the failure to
reach a Christian consensus over the electoral law. The sources added that the committee’s
meeting tackled the proposed draft laws after Maronite archbishops confirmed
the rejection of the 1960s law.
Future bloc MP Ahmad Fatfat told
Al-Mustaqbal Daily that the
bloc endorses the majoritarian system and is against any electoral law based on
proportional representation “so long as one Lebanese party possesses weapons.”
Fatfat said that the head of the Future bloc Fouad Siniora
had clearly informed Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai that he does not mind the
electoral law based on smaller districts.
“We will coordinate with our allies based on the stance of
Siniora who said that we do not mind the electoral law based on smaller
districts in response to the fears of Christians. At the same time, we do not
want a solution that would raise other fears”, he added.
- Harb: We would endorse any electoral draft law that guarantees
fair representation
MP Boutros Harb told
An-Nahar Daily on Sunday that the
meeting of Bkerke’s follow-up committee on Friday showed March 8’s
determination to adopt the electoral law based on proportional representation “under
the pretext that it would guarantee Christians a fairer representation than the
law based on smaller districts.”
“The Free
Patriotic Movement and its allies are trying to embarrass us in order to impose
the law that suits them; our stance is not fixed and we would endorse any draft
law that guarantees a fair representation for all.”
Harb
expected that the committees will first study the reform amendments at the Parliament
then look into controversial items such as proportional representation and the
division of electoral districts.