House Speaker Nabih Berri warned lawmakers Monday against failing to agree on a new electoral law as joint parliamentary committees began their discussions on what voting system to govern the upcoming elections.
The Orthodox Gathering proposal, which the president and Future Movement reiterated their rejection to, was the first item of discussion for lawmakers despite objections by March 14 MPs to do so.
President Michel Sleiman and March 8 ministers are expected to face off during Wednesday’s Cabinet session over the creation of a campaign supervisory body, a step some ministers fear would lead to holding elections under the current 1960 law.
The supervisory committee for elections is the first of 66 items on the Cabinet’s agenda.
A new draft electoral law submitted by the Future Movement faced strong opposition from the March 8 coalition during the second day of talks between rival lawmakers in Parliament Tuesday.
Politicians in Tripoli are busy preparing for elections, despite mounting concerns that polls might be canceled or postponed as a result of either the Syrian crisis or the debate that is still raging over which electoral law to use.
The degree of preparedness differs between candidates, but nonetheless, all are indulging in the possibility of running as candidates.
The Future bloc will not attend this week’s meeting of the joint parliamentary committees on a new vote law in line with its boycott of the government, former Prime Minister Foaud Siniora said Sunday, casting gloom over the outcome of the lawmakers’ talks.
Siniora also said the Future Movement would unveil this week a comprehensive draft electoral law designed to address the Christians’ concerns, in the latest attempt to break the deadlock over which proposal best guarantees fair representation for all sects.
Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani slammed politicians across the country’s political divide Wednesday, saying that both the March 14 and March 8 coalitions are working to maintain Lebanon’s failing political system.
“The dictatorship of the politicians, the zuama [leaders] and the political parties continues to bless the sharp divisions between the members of this nation so that they [political leaders] can exploit them for political gains through lies and deceit,” Qabbani said.
The Interior Ministry announced Monday that it had received an accurate list of Lebanese expatriate voters who wanted to take part in upcoming parliamentary polls from all of its diplomatic missions.
The Central News Agency reported that the ministry had received data related to 10,201 expatriate voters from 49 missions, denying media reports that only 6,733 voters had been registered abroad. The ministry noted that the number had been lowered to 10,012 after a thorough examination of the lists of names.
Efforts to contain a wave of objections to the Orthodox Gathering’s draft electoral law have not managed to eliminate mounting doubts about whether elections will be held on time. Friday’s Bkirki meeting between Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai, Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, Marada Movement leader MP Sleiman Franjieh, and Kataeb Party head Amin Gemayel was the latest of these efforts.
Preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections have been finalized, Lebanon’s Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said Friday.
“The ministry’s logistical and administrative preparations for holding the elections have been finalized,” he told the Kataeb-run Voice of Lebanon radio station.
Charbel said that the Interior Ministry had also prepared a list of the names for the committee that will oversee the elections and said he would send it to the Cabinet.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced in a late Thursday night interview that he would run in the next parliamentary elections and stressed that the polls must take place on time.
"It is natural that I run for elections since I am involved in public affairs,” Mikati said in response to a question.
His comments were made during an interview with Al-Arabiya satellie channel Thursday evening.
Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said Friday the opposition was against Dialogue that leads to nowhere and not to the principle of all-party talks, according to a statement from his office.
“The March 14 boycott to dialogue is not a rejection to dialogue but opposition to unproductive talks in light of the security threats surrounding [the country],” said Siniora.
President Michel Sleiman postponed Wednesday National Dialogue to early 2013 as MP Walid Jumblatt’s ministers carried on with efforts to bridge the gap between Lebanon’s rival political camps.
Sources at Baabda Palace said the next National Dialogue session, the last round of which was held in September, was scheduled for Jan. 7 of next year. This week’s session had been scheduled for Thursday.
El partido-milicia chií libanés Hezbolá ha afirmado este viernes que la petición formulada por el opositor Movimiento 14 de Marzo para que el primer ministro,Najib Mikati, presente su dimisión y se conforme un Gobierno neutral de salvación "no son realistas", al tiempo que ha subrayado que "se opone a la obstrucción de las instituciones del Estado", en referencia al boicot lanzado por la coalición opositora.
Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday visited the Baabda Presidential Palace and met with Lebanon’s top political and religious leaders during the second day of his thre-day visit to the country.
The pontiff was greeted by President Michel Suleiman and his wife at the entrance of the palace.
Following the meeting with Suleiman, the pope also held talks with Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Speaker Nabih Berri.
He later met with Lebanon’s religious leaders representing the different sects that constitute Lebanon’s religious makeup.
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