Geagea responds to Berri on electoral law

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Friday responded statements by Speaker Nabih Berri about the electoral law.

“You’ve said that Amal and Hezbollah cannot manage their electoral campaigns abroad and freely practice their electoral rights without facing harassment, in order to justify your rejection of expats voting abroad for the 128 seats. Accordingly, you are clinging to the six districts mentioned in the current law for expat voting,” Geagea said.

“Here the big question is raised: how can the supporters of Amal and Hezbollah run for the six seats abroad and carry out their electoral campaigns without being able to do the same campaigns and voting for the 128 MPs in their own districts? There is a clear contradiction on this level,” the LF leader added.

Moreover, Geagea commented on Berri’s announcement that he has “another draft electoral law that would continue what was agreed on in the Taif Agreement.”

“We in turn are ready to discuss any proposal that you have, but on one condition: that the subcommittee does not become a graveyard for draft laws and that a very short time be specified for it, in light of the tight deadlines that separate us from the elections. Afterwards all draft laws would be referred from the committee to a plenary session that possesses the right to vote and decide what it sees appropriate,” the LF leader added.

“This is how democracy triumphs, through the plurality of opinions, conducting discussions and taking the decision at the right place: a plenary session in parliament,” Geagea went on to say.