Last Minutes Imaginative Solutions Ahead of Strike, Charbel Presents Draft Electoral Law
Zeinab Essa
The heroes of the theater are giving up the stage and the comedy play is living a tragic chapter entitled the search for representatives.
Some are sick, others are tired, and some preferred to keep their names clean.
Masks are no longer useful. The failing tribunal is to be originally absent from the Lebanese scene as the curtain will close on irrefutable facts where there will be no room for interpretations.
Cassese Resigns:
- "I have tried for two and a half years to lead the tribunal in an effective and fair way in light of difficult conditions," announced Judge Antonio Cassese after his sudden resignation from his post "for health reasons" as stated in an official statement issued from "The Hague".
- Cassese had previously explained to "al-Akhbar" Lebanese daily some aspects of the "difficult conditions" he was facing during his presidency: "I feel that I suffer a moral double standards, I even blunder when facing a selective justice.
"Since it is now more difficult for me to engage in the administrative work and
- The former STL president decision came after a series of incidents that started with the "troubled relations between the tribunals heads" as "al-Akhbar" mentioned. "The resignation of the British "Registrar of Robin Vincent in 2009 was the first spark of differences that occurred between the prosecutor and some judges and STL officials," the paper explained noting to the "tension between Belmar and the Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen, which prompted the Attorney General to refuse to answer questions from Francine, and then challenge his decisions concerning the handover of Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed documents to haunt those responsible for his arbitrary detention."
- Moreover, the paper added that "General Prosecutor Bellmare is not certain that he will remain in office for a long time particularly when he becomes able to escape from international temptations granted to him." "Bellemare has been uninterruptedly hospitalized for two months now and is undergoing intensive treatment," "as-Safir" also mentioned.
- New Zealand Judge David Baragwanath is to head the STL.
Government and ministerial sources told "an-Nahar" that the contacts undertaken by PM Najib Mikati yesterday between the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers and economic committees following consultations between President Michel Suleiman, House Speaker Nabih Berri and MP Walid Jumblatt led to a draft consensus solution developed by the government.
This solution, which is to be discussed in the Council of Ministers Tuesday, may lead if adopted to the cancellation of the strike.
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon Theater is free except from some viewers who have been accustomed to taking a nap during the show.
The Italian judge Antonio Cassese left the throne of the STL presidency and here are some realities:
external responsibilities required of the President, I do not feel able to provide the leadership that the tribunal requires and deserves. However, I will stay on as a Judge of the Appeals Chamber and work hard on judicial matters," Cassese declared in his lamentation.
- For its part, "as-Safir" revealed that United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon hardly asked Cassese to stay in his position as the timing of the resignation in this time means the death of the tribunal. According to this solution, Casseses resigned from his office as STL president on health grounds and, in spite of these reasons, remained a member of the judges' panel.
Solutions vs. Strike
At another Lebanese concern, the Lebanese are waiting the last minute imaginative solution ahead of the Labor Union planned strike Wednesday.
Head of Labor Union Ghassan Ghosn stressed to "as-Safir" daily Tuesday that "labor unions would hold their nationwide strike if their demands were not met. But they left the door for dialogue open."
For his part, Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil assured to "as-Safir" that the Labor Union on one side, the government and the private sector on the other could reach an understanding before Wednesday's strike.
Proportionality Electoral Law
In parallel, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel announced Monday a draft electoral law prepared by the ministry for the 2013 parliamentary elections, describing the system of proportional representation it adopts as the only way to save Lebanon.
Under the draft law, Lebanon would be divided into 10 to 14 medium-sized districts. "Salvation in Lebanon lies in proportional representation," Charbel told a news conference at the Interior Ministry, noting that "the system would allow minorities to be properly represented and encourage all sides to take part in the polls."
The minister had handed the draft law to President Michel Suleiman, House Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
"The draft law that we made is not similar to any other law, neither in form nor in content ... and all its articles can be applied," he said.
"The draft law would enhance transparency and just competition through mechanisms to control campaign spending and expenditures on campaign advertising," Charbel continued, pointing out that "the law would boost the prerogatives of the committee tasked with supervising elections on this matter."
At the security level, Information Branch of the Directorate General of Internal Security Forces stopped S.H. in the southern suburbs of Beirut, after suspicion that he is working with "Israeli" intelligence.
The detainee was born in 1978, and works working as a communication engineer. He graduated from the Lebanese University in 2001.
Source: Lebanese Newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org
