Posted on 05/11/2005 1:50:18 PM PDT by NYer
Maronite bishops warn Syrian-tailored election law will disrupt fragile Christian-Muslim coexistence.
BEIRUT - Lebanon's Maronite bishops warned on Wednesday that a Syrian-tailored election law adopted for polls starting this month would disrupt the country's fragile Christian-Muslim coexistence.
The law "violates... co-existence between Christians and Muslims and does not allow for fair elections", said a seven-point statement issued after a meeting called by Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir.
"We call on all the Lebanese officials to act and prevent the harmful repercussions of this law," it said.
The Lebanese government, under pressure from the international community, said elections for a 128-seat parliament will take place on four consecutive Sundays starting May 29.
The polls will be based on a 2000 law which breaks Lebanon into large constituencies, seen as unfavourable to Lebanon's large Christian minority which is demanding smaller voting areas.
"Based on this formula, only 15 Christian deputies will be elected by Christian voters while 49 others will be chosen by mainly Muslim voters.
"This means that Muslims will choose Christian deputies as was the case under when Lebanon was under (Syrian) tutelage," the statement said.
Syria completed the withdrawal of its troops and intelligence services from Lebanon on April 26, ending 29 years of military and political domination of its smaller neighbour.
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Tough old bird, that Cardinal! I wouldn't want to fool with him and the Mohammadens might want to think twice about this. Seeing him shake hands with Gen Aoun will keep them up a night or two! On the other hand, as Gipper Gal will tell you, this sort of Syrian Mohammaden meddling is age old and the reason why so many Lebanese Christians came to America.
this sort of Syrian Mohammaden meddling is age old and the reason why so many Lebanese Christians came to America.
True, but we will never abandon Mt. Lebanon. I think the words from that song by the Rahbani Brothers (sung the famous Fairuz) is planted in the heart of every Maronite:
Take me and plant me in the land of Lebanon,
Take me to the house that is guarding the hill,
Where I shall open the door and kiss the walls,
And kneel under the loveliest sky, and pray, and pray...
Never dreamed that Aoun would meet (in the wide political meaning) with Patriarch Sfeir, Frangieh, Murr...
Aoun did not change his political aggressiveness, but in the meantime Patriarch Sfeir and the maronite bishops have switched their political position from observers and advisors to an active role in including an arab proverb in their statement : "excused are the acts of the one who had already warned".
The whole situation is to be linked too with the fact that Syria is trying to destabilize once again the border with Israel.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1401371/posts
I do believe that this incident was not done by Hezbollah. First of all, this is not their way of doing things. Second, Syria has recently reinforced the presence of the PFLP, based in Damascus. New troops have been spotted in the vicinity of the tunnels and underground bunkers of Haret-Naameh, on the coast 17 KM south of Beirut. Their vehicules carry license plates from "Reef Dimashq" from Syria. I would not be surprised if they take them off in the next few days.
http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/getstory?openform&DBAE2FAC530E1F4FC2256FFE00342082
Maronite Church Warns against Electing Christians by Muslim Vote
The Maronite Church on Wednesday warned of holding Lebanon's upcoming parliamentary elections under the 2000 law, saying it would bring about "grave consequences that we do not want to happen."
"Pardoned is the one who has forewarned," were the alarm words used for the first time by the Maronite bishops in an official statement summing up the outcome of an emergency meeting they held under Patriarch Sfeir in Bkirki at midmorning.
The statement said the 2000 law, which was promulgated under Syria's tutelage, constitutes a 'cruel injustice' for Lebanon's Christians, who are entitled for one half of parliament's 128 seats under the 1989 Taif accord, which halted the civil war and later became the nation's constitution.
"Instead, the current law enables the Christians to elect only 15 members to the new parliament from the 64 seats they are entitled for," the statement said. "The other 49 Christians will be elected by Muslim votes and thus they will owe allegiance to the Muslim leaders on whose lists they were elected."
The Maronite Church said the elections should be held under a new law making the precinct an electoral constituency to ensure a true representation of the Christians. "Otherwise there will be a Christian disenchantment with which Lebanon will be in discomfort."
The statement did not propose a way out of the current impasse, admitting that time has run out for promulgating a new law in time for the May-June elections. It added: "We call on all Lebanese officials to act and prevent the harmful repercussions of this law."
Beirut, Updated 11 May 05, 12:44
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