Alain Aoun Accuses al-Mustaqbal of Creating Rift Among Christians, Fatfat Snaps Back

Change and Reform bloc MP Alain Aoun accused on Tuesday al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc of seeking to create a rift among rival Christian parties by proposing a draft-law that fails to guarantee the right representation of sects in parliament.

At a press conference he held in parliament, Aoun said the electoral draft-law proposed on Monday was “stillborn because it came very late.”

Al-Mustaqbal proposed it “to create a problem among Christian parties which despite their differences have reached consensus on an electoral draft-law,” said Aoun, who is a member of MP Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement.

The lawmaker accused al-Mustaqbal bloc, which is a leading member of the March 14 opposition alliance, of seeking to keep the 1960 law to govern this year's parliamentary elections but through a different version.

Al-Mustaqbal lawmakers proposed on Monday the draft-law that calls for dividing Lebanon into 37 small districts based on a winner-takes-all system and the creation of a senate to allay Christian concerns over representation.

It is based on a four-point initiative announced last week by al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri.

Al-Mustaqbal MP Ahmed Fatfat said during the announcement of the draft-law that the new proposal is aimed at meeting Christian demands for improved representation while safeguarding coexistence.

Al-Mustaqbal “can't sell its initiative at our expense,” Aoun said after explaining that only between 36-38 Christians MPs would be elected by Christians under the proposed draft-law.

He accused it of “exploiting the Christian front” despite claims that it is making “sacrifices.”

Aoun also advised the parliamentary bloc of reviewing its ties with its Christian allies in the March 14 coalition.

“Al-Mustaqbal can't understand our ties with the rest of the Christians,” the MP said.

The Lebanese Forces and the Phalange, who are allied with al-Mustaqbal, and the March 8 majority's Free Patriotic Movement and Marada have announced their support for the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal which calls for a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system.

Aoun also accused al-Mustaqbal of trying to lure Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat, a Druze, to ally himself with the bloc in the next elections.

He gave the example of the Shouf, where the draft-law proposes two districts – one includes a majority of Sunnis and another a majority of Druze – sidestepping Christians.

But Fatfat accused Aoun of incitement, saying his bloc's proposal allows Christians to vote for 48 MPs from their sects.