Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea slammed Free Patriotic Movement Leader MP Michel Aoun for accepting the new electoral law as approved by the cabinet and vowed never to forge an alliance with him.
“We were surprised by the FPM ministers’ approval of the electoral draft law based on proportionality,” Geagea said during a press conference at his Maarab residence.
Geagea declared : “We will never forge an alliance with Aoun after his acts, remarks and denial of facts”
Geagea added : If Aoun really cares about ensuring Christians’ fair representation in the parliamentary elections, he should agree to the Christian opposition proposal on the electoral law.”
The LF leader insisted that proportional representation based on small constituencies would be most representative of the Christian electorate.
“We continue to support a new electoral law based on small constituencies, which provides the best representation for Christians.” He said
Geagea explained that Bkirki discussion revolved around the possibility of adopting 61 districts in the new law and another on the adoption of proportional representation, which is different than the law approved by the government.
“We were therefore surprised when the FPM ministers voted on a law that contradicted the Bkirki discussions,” he noted.
Commenting on the 2013 election date Geagea rejected the proposal by the March 8 majority to postpone the elections due to the situation in Syria.
“We have nothing to do with the developments in Syria and therefore there can be no meddling with the dates of constitutional events”, Geagea said
Commenting on on claims by some March 8 officials that extremist Chechen, Libyan, Yemeni, Afghani, and Saudi gunmen were training in north Lebanon, Geagea said that the government is run by March 8 ministers and should arrest all terrorists .
“If terrorists do exist as they claim, then they should arrest them, otherwise what’s the point of their claim since they are the ones governing the country ?”
He added: Those making such claims could be accused as being traitors because they did not lift a finger to stop such alleged activities.
“Such statements discourage tourists from heading to Lebanon,” Geagea concluded,
New electoral law
President Michel Suleiman signed on Saturday the new electoral draft law that was approved by the cabinet and referred it to the parliament, National News Agency reported .
Lebanon’s Cabinet approved earlier in August the electoral draft law which called for proportional representation and divided the country into 13 districts.
Lebanon was divided into the following electoral districts:
Beirut 2, south Lebanon 2, Bekaa 3, north Lebanon 3 , Mount Lebanon 3.
The parliament received the electoral draft law on Monday. Speaker Nabih Berri later transferred the draft law to the relevant parliamentary committees to discuss it, National News Agency reported.
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