Al-Rahi: We’re Awaiting Outcome of Committee’s Efforts on New Electoral Law
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi stated on Wednesday that he was not informed that the Bkirki meeting that was supposed to be in April has been postponed.
He said: “We are still awaiting the outcome of the efforts of the follow-up committee that is studying the parliamentary electoral law.”
“We have still not received word of any new development in this matter,” said the patriarch upon his return to Lebanon from Egypt on Wednesday afternoon.
On Tuesday, Bishop Samir Mazloum denied that a conference of Maronite MPs that was set to be held in Bkirki in April was postponed to avoid a meeting between al-Rahi and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea.
He stressed that the April 3 meeting was postponed after the committee tasked with drafting a law on the parliamentary elections failed to complete its mission.
Asked at the airport on whether he will be visiting Syria any time, al-Rahi replied: “We will visit Syria when the situation there is stable.”
“If I visit it, I will do so not as a man of politics because we have stated in the past that we separate political work from that of the church,” he added.
“Similar to all official visits to foreign countries, we seek to meet local authorities because we want to express to them that the Christian and Lebanese diasporas are loyal to the countries that have harbored them,” he stated.
21 March 2012, 17:27
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“If I visit it, I will do so not as a man of politics because we have stated in the past that we separate political work from that of the church,” he added.
The Taif Accord is not a pastoral concern, whereby the 35% of Lebanese who are nominally Christian (that number was the estimate of Cardinal Tauran; Noam Chomsky thinks that Shiites alone are half of all Lebanese) get 50% of Parliamentary seats?
21 March 2012, 17:31
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Well they all will fight to keep the old one as is, so all lords will assure their win..."The Big fish eats the small ones" the rule
21 March 2012, 17:34
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".......because we want to express to them that the Christian and Lebanese diasporas are loyal to the countries that have harbored them,” he stated."
Excuse me Al Rahi: you make the christians sound as second class citizens! Countries that have harbored them???? Christians are part of these countries, part of their cultures, part of their societies and don't need to be harbored!!!
Second, if you separate political work from that of the church, then why are you involved in the electoral law???? I don't see any other religious authority in lebanon actively involved in such issues the way you are???
21 March 2012, 17:46
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chrisrushlau, Noam Chomsky thinks, really he does? I guess one visit to Lebanon and a heart to heart talk with a handful of Hezbollah officials made him an instant expert on Lebanon!
Does that "estimate" include the Lebanese abroad? The vast numbers of those are Christians. Anyway without an official accurate census non of your speculations matter, they matter less coming from an ill-informed foreigner such as yourself.
21 March 2012, 18:05
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I love it how people throw un-substantiated figures around - even if you quote sources. The fact is there hasn't been any comprehensive census since before the independence. So all figures floating around are pure guesses at best.
Speaking of Census - i heard Sri Lanka will have its first census after the civil war (last was done 30 years ago). So Sri Lanka is ahead of Lebanon in that front.
21 March 2012, 18:45
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The foolish American convert should refrain from waging his holy war against the Lebanese Christians on behalf of his Iranian masters. No matter how much you try to push the Iranian agenda of the Shiite Islamic Republic of Lebanon Mr chrisrushlau it will never happen.
21 March 2012, 20:08
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But FartingToad you already forgot how under your many names you used to call Patriarch Sfeir, Sfayr.
21 March 2012, 20:59
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@ hasanzibowhatever : did you really adressed the head of the maronite church saying "my friend"? Is the Patriarch your buddy? You deserve no comment and no attention.
Harbored issue: You can get as mad asyou like, but the Patriarch was referring himself to the Chaldeans from Iraq.
22 March 2012, 14:44
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he's not getting involved to make one party win over the other but to give the christians the fairest chance possible of electing their representative so...
