Bassil Says LF Step Caused 'Fall of Taef, Turned it into Catastrophes': May 15 Is a Black Stain in History
Caretaker Energy and Water Minister Jebran Bassil described on Thursday the date of May 15, 2013 as a black stain in history, accusing the Lebanese Forces of causing “the fall of the Taef Accord.“
“Twenty-four years after the Taef Accord's catastrophe, we had the chance to improve its implementation before it turns into several catastrophes, but today the Taef Accord has fallen and so did the political system created by Taef,” Bassil said at a press conference tackling the electoral law.
“Wednesday, May 15 resembles the year 1989 and people will realize that our choice is the right one.”
Bassil considered that the Orthodox Gathering's draft electoral law was a chance “to achieve equal power-sharing and proper representation.”
“It is the most constitutional and fair law. It enjoyed Christian consensus and the approval of Bkirki and high-ranking Christian leaders. It also enjoys the support of more than half of Muslims.”
But, at the moment of truth, they (the Lebanese Forces and al-Mustaqbal) announced another law and wasted the chance, Bassil commented.
He expressed that the hopes of Christians have been betrayed, adding that there is a “feeling of frustration.”
“Bkirki and the Phalange Party share our frustration,” he noted.
“We lost Christian unity. We temporarily lost 64 seats, and we lost a real chance to organize the Christian arena and end the dispersion caused by some parasites and feudal lords.”
The Free Patriotic Movement minister said that what happened was "a blow to Bkirki and people can interpret what happened and realize the amount of foreign pressure."
He accused the Lebanese Forces of “putting its private interest above the public interest by choosing March 14 instead of the country and by choosing al-Mustaqbal over Christians.”
“We, however, have won our dignity and we thank our allies, especially Hizbullah, and all Muslims who stood by us concerning our rights,” he remarked.
The Orthodox draft is still on the agenda, Bassil pointed out. “I ask every Christian to pray for its approval and light a candle."
"After the Orthodox law, our options are open.”
Speaker Nabih Berri postponed on Wednesday a parliamentary session that was set to discuss the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal for lack of quorum, after Al-Mustaqbal and the LF struck a last-minute deal on the hybrid proposal which was also backed by Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat's National Struggle Front and March 14's independent Christian MPs.
The Orthodox draft that considers Lebanon a single district and stipulates that each sect elects its own MPs under on a proportional representation system, is strongly backed by Hizbullah and the FPM.
Meanwhile, the proposal of the March 14 alliance, excluding the Phalange party, calls for 54 MPs to be elected under the winner-takes-all system and 46 percent via the proportional representation system.
The country would be divided into six governorates.
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