By
Van Meguerditchian
BEIRUT:
Leading Maronite leaders and politicians will meet for another round of talks
at Bkirki Friday in a bid to announce consensus on several key issues, but
recent security incidents in the south aren’t likely to be one of them.
Officials
from rival political parties that will take part in the meeting see some hope
that a new election law proposal will be endorsed.
Zahle
MP Elie Marouni told The Daily Star that Christian leaders are set to agree on
a number of electoral reforms.
“There
are no obstacles to reaching an agreement for one electoral law that would
address the worries and reservations of Christians,” Marouni said.
“We
have a long-standing and shared interest to increase the effective
participation of Christians during parliamentary elections,” said Marouni, an
official with the Kataeb (Phalange) Party.
In
an interview with the Central News Agency, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea
said Thursday that “we are very close to agreement on a single election law.”
Friday’s meeting was called by Patriarch Beshara Rai, to continue discussion of
the election law, among other items.
Marouni
said he would brief participants on the work of a committee formed to discuss
challenges facing land ownership by Christians, while another committee will
discuss the “weak Christian presence” in public sector posts, a perennial theme
of the community’s politicians since the end of the Civil War.
“The
major topic of discussion among the participants will be the election law, in
addition to other subjects that will be placed on the meeting’s agenda,” said a
source familiar with the meeting.
But
while an agreement on the election law is difficult enough, recent events in
the south have forced themselves on to the agenda.
According
to the source, the issue of all non-state arms and the army’s authority over
all Lebanese territory would likely be discussed.
“Hezbollah’s
arms, Palestinian arms outside refugee camps and all non-state arms in the
country will be up for discussion,” said the source, adding that the patriarch
would address last week’s security developments in south Lebanon.
After
last week’s car bomb attack against French UNIFIL troops, Rai condemned the
attack and urged officials to step up their efforts to place all arms in the
hands of the army.
Five
French soldiers serving in UNIFIL and one passerby were injured when a roadside
bomb exploded near the city of Tyre.
But
politicians meeting in Bkirki are unlikely to reach agreement on any of the
political and security developments.
“It
isn’t possible to reach any agreement on the security incidents or Hezbollah’s
arms during the Bkirki meeting between rival Maronite leaders,” said Marouni.
“While we will stick to our position on Hezbollah’s arms, Free Patriotic
Movement leader Michel Aoun will continue defending Hezbollah’s weapons.”
Earlier
this week, Geagea and the March 14 coalition accused Hezbollah of being either
directly or indirectly responsible for the security incidents.
Vera
Yammine, a Marada movement spokesperson, criticized the accusations, saying the
rush to blame a local group harmed the reputation of the Lebanese Army and the
Internal Security Forces.
“Accusing
Hezbollah means that they [March 14] do not have confidence in state
institutions such as the Army and the ISF,” Yammine argued.
According
to Yammine, no breakthrough is likely Friday, due to differences of opinion on
complicated issues, but at least the rival groups are talking.
“Disagreements
and conflicts are so old between the rival parties, we can’t expect to have
agreement in the space of a few meetings,” said Yammine, also a member of the
group’s politburo.
“We are ready to discuss
whatever Rai would like us to discuss,” she said, adding that she hoped
participants would at least endorse a new election law proposal.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Dec-16/157033-maronite-leaders-hope-to-agree-on-election-law.ashx#axzz1giP8wnct
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