Civil Campaign for Electoral Reform Rejects Proposed Sectarian Electoral Draft Laws
The Civil Campaign for Electoral Reform (CCER) held on Saturday a sit-in near Samir Kassir memorial garden in Downtown Beirut to protest the adoption of any sectarian electoral law during the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The sit-in held under the slogan “No for Any Sectarian Electoral Law,” was held in participation of a number of civil society organizations.
“We are gathered here today to voice our rejection to any electoral law that reinforces sectarian division in Lebanon, or any other draft law that threatens the country and it's diversity,” secretary-general of the CCER Adnan Melki said.
He vowed to confront the sectarian rhetoric that officials have been engaged in lately.
“The proposed electoral draft laws that prioritize sectarianism distort most of required reforms,” Melki pointed out.
He lashed out at the Orthodox Gathering and the small-size districts proposals, considering them of a sectarian nature.
Melki called on the Lebanese to act responsibly and press officials to adopt an electoral law that fortifies coexistence, unity, equality, dignity, and better represents them.
One of the participants held up a banner saying: “Yes for proportional representation... No for an elections that has its results prepared in advance.”
An electoral subcommittee, tasked with finding common ground between the March 14 and March 8 foes over the electoral law, is set to resume discussions on Monday. The subcommittee is currently discussing several proposed electoral draft laws including the Orthodox Gathering and the March 14 proposals.
The Christian four-party committee on the electoral law agreed recently to endorse the electoral system proposed by the so-called Orthodox Gathering, under which each sect would elect its own lawmakers.
But the proposal was criticized by President Michel Suleiman, Premier Najib Miqati, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, al-Mustaqbal Movement and several other Christian MPs and officials.
However, The March 14 Christian MPs suggested to divide Lebanon into 50 small-sized districts based on a winner-takes-all system.
The government’s proposal calls for dividing Lebanon into 13 medium districts based on proportional representation.
The main focus of discussions is the number and size of districts, the type of system, and the number of MPs in parliament which currently stands at 128.
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