BEIRUT:
The European Union urged Lebanon Tuesday to adopt a new electoral law ahead of
the 2013 parliamentary elections, along with a host of other recommendations
related to judicial, social and political reform in the country.
As
part of the European Neighborhood Policy program, which governs the EU’s
relations with peripheral countries, Tuesday saw the launch of 12
country-specific reports on domestic progress.
The
progress report on Lebanon first encouraged the adoption of a new electoral law
“in good time for the legislative elections in 2013, bringing the electoral
process further into line with international standards.”
A
draft law submitted by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel to Cabinet last year
called for the introduction of a proportional representation system, but it has
divided politicians.
The
report also urges the government to “reduce the backlog of draft laws currently
before parliament and advance adoption of legislative proposals in key economic
and social areas.”
A
draft law on the outlawing of domestic violence has been in debate since 2010.
It
also encourages an increased independence of the judiciary, improving the
management of prisons and abolishing the death penalty. Protests by inmates and
their relatives at the country’s biggest prison, Roumieh, have occurred
frequently over the last year, in relation to overcrowding and other issues.
“No
progress could be reported in the field of judicial and law enforcement
cooperation and a number of international conventions regarding family law, and
notably children, remain unsigned,” the report states.
The
report also calls for an increased role for women in the public and social
sectors and calls upon Lebanese authorities to sign a Memorandum of
Understanding with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, to “improve the
protection of refugees and asylum seekers” in the country.
Lebanon
is still not a party to the 1951 Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees.
“There was no significant progress in these areas in 2011,” the report states.
The
report also calls for a liberalization of the telecommunications sector.
In
terms of energy, the report urges the government to reform the sector and
increase the use of renewable sources, which currently only accounts for 4
percent of total output. The government has pledged to up this to 12 percent by
2020.
The
ENP in Lebanon is currently governed by a 150 million euro package, which has
three main aims: “supporting political reform; supporting social and economic
reform; and encouraging reconstruction and recovery among the “most vulnerable
parts of the population, including Palestinian refugees.”
“After years of stagnation,
people ... have stood up against despotism. It is important that the EU
continues to back reformers and to speak out against those who wish to stop the
process of change ... Our partners must ensure fundamental values like freedom
of expression, independence of the judiciary, gender equality, and the fight
against corruption,” EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said Tuesday.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/May-16/173534-eu-urges-lebanon-to-adopt-electoral-reform-before-2013.ashx#axzz1v2XdY2Xy
No comments:
Post a Comment