Geagea Urges Small Electoral Districts Based on Bkirki Agreement: New Law Favors March 8 Camp

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea noted on Wednesday that the new electoral law is better than the 1960 law, although it does not ensure proper representation during the parliamentary elections.

He said during a press conference: “The new law favors the March 8 camp to ensure that they are better represented.”

He said that the law adopted during the last elections, held in 2009, was the product of the Doha accord, which in turn was held as a result of the events of May 7, 2008.

Ever since the approval of the Taef accord, developments in Lebanon were aimed at favoring Syria’s hegemony in Lebanon, especially the electoral law, he added.

That was demonstrated when the Akkar and Bsharreh regions were combined in one electoral district, continued Geagea.

“The Taef accord is the only agreement that can protect Lebanon,” he declared.

“We should therefore work on safeguarding it in order to achieve political stability,” the LF leader stressed.

He wondered why the new electoral law divided each of Beirut and the South into two districts when they carry almost the same weight as other districts.

“They did so to grant the March 8 camp an upper hand in the elections,” Geagea said.

“How can combining the Ashrafiyeh and Bashoura districts ensure fair representation?” he wondered.

He revealed that parliament will discuss adopting small districts for the elections, as had been agreed upon by the gatherers at the Bkirki meeting.

Moreover, he criticized the mechanism allowing expatriates to vote, pointing out that the government had placed all the expatriate voters in one district “in a manner that does not allow them to participate in national life.”

He added that surveys have revealed that voters are most likely leaning towards voting for the March 14 camp “in light of the practices of the current ruling powers.”

“The new electoral law was therefore aimed at saving them,” stated Geagea.

“As part of the Bkirki committee, we reached an agreement that small districts offer the best representation, which would divide Lebanon into 61 electoral districts,” he explained.

“Small districts offer better representation than the current law,” he noted.

“We will remain committed to the Bkirki committee agreement,” stressed the LF leader.

“The 1960 electoral law is completely unsuitable and the government new law is a step in the right direction, but it is still far from what is required,” Geagea added.

“I understand former PM Saad Hariri’s position, but we can take the bad they presented and improve it,” he said.

Direct coordination is ongoing between the LF and Mustaqbal movement and “any electoral law we propose would be in agreement with our allies,” he stressed.

In addition, he said that the LF, Phalange Party, and Free Patriotic Movement were in agreement over adopting small districts.

The Progressive Socialist Party and the Mustaqbal movement can be persuaded to adopt our position, he continued.

The cabinet approved on Tuesday an electoral law based on proportional representation and which divides Lebanon into 13 electoral districts.

Hariri slammed the law on Tuesday, saying that it only caters to the interests of Hizbullah and its allies.

The Bkirki committee, comprised of representatives of four major Christian parties, is expected to meet in the coming days to announce its stance from a new electoral draft-law.

The first proposal made by Christian parties at the seat of the Maronite church was based on dividing Lebanon to small districts that do not surpass three seats each and the other called for proportionality based on 15 districts