Naharnet: Mustaqbal MPs Meet Geagea: For Appeasing All Concerns on Electoral Law

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/27161-mustaqbal-mps-meet-geagea-for-appeasing-all-concerns-on-electoral-law

A Mustaqbal Movement delegation on Thursday held talks with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in Maarab on the general situations in the country, “especially the issue of the electoral law,” MP Ahmed Fatfat said after the meeting.

The delegation also comprised MPs Hadi Hbeish and Ziad al-Qaderi. The meeting was attended by LF bloc MPs Georges Adwan and Antoine Zahra.

Fatfat said the meeting was “part of the contacts among the political forces in the March 14 camp and part of efforts exerted by the Mustaqbal Movement committee tasked with following up on the (new) electoral law.”

“We discovered that we have several common principles in this regard, as we all believe in the Taef Accord and the principle of equal power-sharing between Christians and Muslims, and everyone is aware of the legitimate concerns some Lebanese parties have, especially the Christians,” Fatfat added.

“We stressed the importance of coexistence and the need to find an electoral exit which would appease the concerns of all parties and guarantee proper political representation in Lebanon and justice in the distribution of electorates,” the MP said, noting that “the Mustaqbal Movement would only take a decision in coordination with its allies.”

Fatfat said the conferees discussed all the possibilities, noting that meetings would continue “until the March 14 forces reach a common vision in this regard.”

Asked whether the electoral law proposed by the Greek Orthodox Gathering had been shelved, Fatfat ruled out that, noting that “there’s a possibility to adopt it partially or in its entirety.”

But he warned that a parliament produced by such an electoral law would not preserve coexistence among the various communities.

Asked about the proportional representation law proposed by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, Fatfat said: “After discussing this proposal extensively at the Phoenicia (Hotel) conference, we found out that it contains several gaps and discrimination in the distribution of the electorates, which means that it does not achieve justice.”