Miqati Says Reallocation of Parliamentary Seats Paves Way for 'Federalism'

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Former Prime Minister Najib Miqati said he rejects proposals to reallocate parliamentary seats

from one electoral district to another, including moving the Maronite seat from Tripoli, the National News Agency reported on Monday.

“In the midst of the debate on the election law, while we welcomed the current proposal which stems from the spirit of a draft law approved by our government, we were surprised by the suggestion to move parliamentary seats from one region to another under the pretext of achieving just representation,” said Miqati.

“This proposal carries great danger because it practically means legitimizing the division between the Lebanese, and the beginning of a rejected political federation at a time when everyone is required to cooperate to consolidate unity,” he added.

The political parties have reportedly agreed on a law based on full proportional representation and 15 districts but the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces are reportedly demanding the reallocation of three Maronite seats from Muslim-majority districts to Christian-majority districts.

The FPM and the LF believe that moving a Maronite seat from Tripoli to Batroun, another from West Bekaa to Jbeil and another from Baalbek-Hermel to Bsharri would raise Christians' ability to elect MPs with their own votes to 50 out of 64 seats.

“We express our rejection about reallocation of seats and we hold on to the Maronite seat in Tripoli, because the city in all its spectrum is keen on its unity and coexistence among all its people,”concluded Miqati.

Comments 8
Missing humble 29 May 2017, 17:29

Yes Sir!!! They are dead brains since 9 years.

Thumb gigahabiib 29 May 2017, 19:28

LPM, hooever they arr, and LF must increase cristhians seats to 64 seats!!!???!!}} butt the sonnys and the shites hoo arr the real cristhians refuze two gibe them moore!!!!!!!!!!?????

Thumb chrisrushlau 29 May 2017, 19:53

would raise Christians' ability to elect MPs with their own votes to 50 out of 64 seats.
Why doesn't Naharnet ever mention Article 64 of the Constitution which reserves half the seats in Parliament to Christians? Only knowing that lets "elect MPs with their own votes" make any sense at all in this quoted sentence.
The fact that Naharhet is afraid of mentioning or ashamed to mention this set-aside tells you they are not proud of it, think there is something wrong with it.
This is classical dysfunctionalism: "shh, don't talk about THAT or you know what will happen . . . "

Thumb Hayek.Feghali.Abdelatif 29 May 2017, 20:19

People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

Hillary Clinton 65,853,516
Donald Trump 62,984,825

Hillary Clinton won by a majority of almost three million votes, that's more than the combined Muslim population of Lebanon

Yet Donald Trump is your President

anything to say chrisrushlau
maybe "shh, don't talk about THAT or you know what will happen . . . "

Thumb Hayek.Feghali.Abdelatif 29 May 2017, 21:18

RE:to the resident coward. thank you for your reply but shouldn't you first be telling chrisrushlau to educate himself in the Lebanese voting system before showing his ignorance? He insist on majority rule in Lebanon I'm just pointing out why should it when it does not rule in the US where he is from. If you had anything close to a brain you would have realized that, as you biological father says Shalom back at you!

Thumb galaxy 29 May 2017, 21:58

rofl rofl rofl

Thumb thepatriot 29 May 2017, 22:59

Federalism? Why not!?

Default-user-icon Terra Ryzin (Guest) 30 May 2017, 07:57

Really Stupid! No wonder you christians in the middle east remain as slaves to those muslim infidels.