Berri Says 1960 Law 'Bad' but Sectarian Law 'Worse'

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Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday acknowledged that the 1960 electoral law which was endorsed in the 2009 polls is a “bad” law for the country but warned against replacing it with a “sectarian law.”

“It is not required to move from a bad prison into a worse prison, or from the 1960 law into a sectarian law,” said Berri during his weekly Ain el-Tineh meeting with lawmakers, warning against “sectarian incitement” in the electoral law debate.

"We hold onto the national principles and national approach in dealing with the electoral law and we will never support any sectarian approach towards the new law,” Berri added.

And warning of the regional threats surrounding Lebanon, the speaker called for “shunning the sectarian spirit and clinging to the national principles, away from any narrow or partisan interests.”

Berri was referring to a controversial law proposed by Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil that involves sectarian voting in its first round.

The political parties are meanwhile inching closer towards endorsing an electoral proposal suggested by Berri, which involves parliamentary elections under a full proportional representation system and the creation of a Senate.

Comments 4
Thumb chrisrushlau 10 May 2017, 17:49

Put the National Pact (6:5) and the Taef Accord (50-50) ratios out to referendum. Let's see how many Lebanese think the "national" solution is to give Christians half the seats in Parliament regardless of the votes cast.
For that matter, let's see how Christianity in Lebanon recovers after the wall between church and state is put up. If Patriarch al Rahi wants to be in politics, let him run for office, under a fair system: majority rule, minority rights.
You probably feared, fifty years ago, that if you installed majority rule the former colonial powers would invade. I don't think that would happen now. They might send some ISIS or Turks or CIA after you, but that would only make you stronger.

Missing telzaatar 10 May 2017, 20:04

What office did nasrallah run for? Shish qawook? Yazbek? And the rest of the cronies? When march 8 lost elections, did they respect majority ruling? Please send my warm regards to Nooh z3eiter

Missing telzaatar 10 May 2017, 20:05

Also mr. Shii3i, are your cult religious leaders in favor of a referendum on hizbullah illegal weapons or having civil marriage?

Thumb Hayek.Feghali.Abdelatif 10 May 2017, 21:15

regardless of the votes cast, no majority rule, no minority rights, not a fair system, no referendum

Hillary Clinton 65,853,516

Donald Trump 62,984,825

Majority rule winner Hillary Clinton
President Donald Trump

You probably feared, two hundred and thirteen years ago, that if you installed majority rule the former colonial power would invade. I don't think that would happen now. They might send some ISIS or Turks or MI6 after you, but that would only make you stronger.