Former presidential candidate and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea denied on Friday that the new electoral law that was agreed by the cabinet on Wednesday and passed by Parliament on Friday is ‘Hezbollah’s law’ and slammed its critics
“I congratulate us all on the new law, especially that it was not at all easy to reach a new law amid the flawed electoral laws that persisted for 25 years, the complications of the Lebanese situation, and the explosion of all of the region’s volcanoes,” Geagea said at a press conference.
Acknowledging that the law “is not ideal,” Geagea called for “admitting that this is the best we can do amid the Lebanese complications.”
“This law involves a very acceptable correction of the flaw that had marred parliamentary representation in Lebanon,” Geagea boasted.The LF leader slammed the critics of the new law
“Some parties always insist on negativity and on opening fire indiscriminately at everything without taking into consideration the objective circumstances and the realities on the ground.”
“Negativity will only harm those practicing it and will disturb the general atmosphere. Some have forgotten that they had agreed to the 15-district proportional representation law in Bkirki’s meetings and that they had repeatedly called for this law in the past few months,” Geagea added, apparently referring to Phalange Party chief MP Sami Gemayel.
“To those parties I say: you were part of the consecutive governments, so why didn’t you offer a draft law better than the one that was passed today? It is the peak of negativity when you don’t accomplish anything and when you attack others if they achieve something,” Geagea added.
He noted that it would not have been possible to reach the new electoral law had it not been for “President Michel Aoun’s clear and firm stance, Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s great positivity… and the Lebanese Forces’ smart and effective plan of action that was led by MP George Adwan.”
Dismissing claims that the new law is “tailored” to fit the interests of the LF and the Free Patriotic Movement, Geagea said the two parties possessed the ability to “win all Christian seats in Lebanon under the 1960 law.”
“But we rejected that and the new law is a law that is against the interests of big parties,” Geagea added.
He added: “This law is not Hezbollah’s law’, stressing that ‘Hezbollah’s law’ was proportional representation in a single electoral district.”
Geagea also pointed out that “this law was made in Lebanon.”
“This is the first time that we get an electoral law that is ‘made in Lebanon’,” the LF leader boasted.
The new law replaces the so called 1960 winner-takes-all electoral law
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