Abu Faour: Sectarian Electoral Laws May Lead to Political, Geographic Partition
MP Wael Abu Faour of the Progressive Socialist Party warned Sunday that sectarian electoral laws may eventually lead to a political and geographic partitioning of Lebanon.
“Proposing some laws that are based on sectarian segregation is the beginning of partitioning in Lebanon. Today we are speaking of electoral segregation in Lebanon and who knows perhaps in the future we will start speaking of political and geographic partitioning,” Abu Faour cautioned.
“This approach leads to the partition of Lebanon and this is something that we can never accept,” the MP added, noting that “Iraq is divided, Syria is on the path of partitioning, Palestine is partitioned, so what prevents the winds of partitioning from reaching Lebanon?”
“What is being proposed is not a technical choice but rather a segregationist choice, that's why we cannot accept the approach of segregation,” Abu Faour added.
Turning to the growing debate about the establishment of a Senate, the lawmaker said “the new debate about the Senate might become a gateway to sedition, firstly about the powers of the Senate and secondly about the presidency of the Senate.”
“Being the party that is most concerned with the Senate's presidency, we say that we will not be dragged into an additional controversy over it. There is no need to create another sectarian conflict over the presidency and powers of the Senate,” Abu Faour added
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has recently proposed a hybrid electoral law that involves sectarian voting in the first round, dubbed the “qualification system.” The second round involves non-sectarian voting and a proportional representation system.
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