Gov’t Discusses Electoral Law, Separates Parliamentary Seats from Ministerial Posts
Zeinab Essa
Bets perished and the Syrian regime succeeded in cutting the conspiracy with the sword of national dialogue, reforms, and security.
Damascus replied to the Arab brothers' initiative with its well known positions.
We are ready to dialogue but national security is a red line.
And in Lebanon some of the betters are to hardly try to find a way leading to Damascus' road after they lost their Arabic map and were confused in reading in a foreign one.
Syria, AL Last Word
Syria announced Tuesday that it reached with the Arab Ministerial Committee on Tuesday an agreement regarding the final document on situation in Syria.
"The official announcement in this regard is set to take place at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo Wednesday," SANA reported.
For its part "as-Safir" Lebanese daily quoted reliable sources informing that the severe crisis that hit the Syrian-Qatari relations is on the way to detente, as channels of communication were opened between the two countries."
" This would pave the way for Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al- Thani's close visit to Damascus to meet President Bashar al-Assad, as he is to be preceded by his Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem," sources unveiled.
Syria's Arab League representative Youssef Ahmad told AFP in Cairo that Damascus would respond Tuesday to the plan. "We are dealing positively with the last proposal, which was drafted Sunday in Qatar."
Similarly, Algerian Foreign Minister Murad Medelci also sounded optimistic.
"We had a good meeting in Doha and found some common ground with our Syrian friends. I hope this will be confirmed in Cairo," he said Tuesday.
"The Syrian authority want the opposition to drop weapons, the Arab states to end their funding for the weapons and the opposition, and an end to the media campaign against Syria," "as-Safir" mentioned.
The United States, which has imposed sanctions on Syria's oil industry and key state businesses, said that if Syria accepted and implemented the Arab League's proposals it would be "very welcome."
Meanwhile, during his visit to the United Arab Emirates, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated Moscow's opposition to any Libya-style military intervention in Syria.
"If it depends on us, I don't think we will allow anything of that sort to be repeated in Syria," Lavrov stressed.
UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan echoed him.
"We do not think that there is any party which is willing to internationalize this matter. At least we Arabs don't," he said.
Electoral Law Ministerial Debate
In Lebanon, the Lebanese government convened Tuesday at "Baabda" Presidential Palace and on the top of discussions was the electoral law.
During the session, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said "it is important to achieve an electoral law that reflects a "fair parliamentary representation and which strengthens democracy and modernizes Lebanon's electoral system."
Minister of Information Walid Daouq reported quoted Mikati as saying "it is important to act quickly but not be hasty in approving the new electoral law," adding that "as of mid-November, the government will convene almost daily to discuss both the electoral law and the 2012 state budget."
"Even though no electoral system will be perfect... It is important to achieve an electoral law with broad support," Mikati reportedly said.
"As-Safir" daily reported that Minister of Administrative Development Mohammad Fneish declared during the session Hizbullah's principle support for the electoral project.
"In the same time we are open to debate on the subject of departments and divisions and in all other details. It is important that there be a common will where there is neither predominance nor exclusion," he added.
Noting that "this electoral law is a step in our political system's reform process," Fneish asserted that "we are all to contribute to the development of the system and to eliminate anything that may cause problems and crises."
The government also approved to separate parliamentary seats from ministerial posts.
Under the new constitution draft law, which will be later discussed by the government, it would no longer be possible for an individual to be both a member of parliament and a minister.
"President Michel Suleiman is expected to carry out his constitutional right and amend article 28 in order to prevent MPs from occupying a ministerial post," "as-Safir" reported.
Water and Energy Minister Jebran Bassil told "an-Nahar" daily that "the president had a positive attitude towards the reforms' suggestions."
"Separating a parliamentary seat from a ministerial post is an important issue. The suggestion was approved by the ministers and awaits the president's follow-up," Bassil said.
The ministers decided to complete the discussions on the electoral draft law by December, which if achieved; it would be seen as a major accomplishment.
STL New Evidences: "Mossad" Involved
At another context, "al-Akhbar" newspaper reported that former MP Hassan al-Sabia transferred lately a message from ex-PM Saad Hariri to his "Future" officials demanding them to "adopt the Syrian Revolution, defend the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and to confront the Mikati government while maintaining the required stability internally, regionally and internationally."
In parallel, "al-Akhbar" unveiled that "a document indicating a memorandum sent to the Pre-Trial Judge in the STL Daniel Fransen included information that could live up to the level of circumstantial evidence about the involvement of "Israeli" Mossad and its former head Meir Dagan, in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org
Bets perished and the Syrian regime succeeded in cutting the conspiracy with the sword of national dialogue, reforms, and security.
Damascus replied to the Arab brothers' initiative with its well known positions.
We are ready to dialogue but national security is a red line.
And in Lebanon some of the betters are to hardly try to find a way leading to Damascus' road after they lost their Arabic map and were confused in reading in a foreign one.
Syria, AL Last Word
Syria announced Tuesday that it reached with the Arab Ministerial Committee on Tuesday an agreement regarding the final document on situation in Syria.
"The official announcement in this regard is set to take place at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo Wednesday," SANA reported.
For its part "as-Safir" Lebanese daily quoted reliable sources informing that the severe crisis that hit the Syrian-Qatari relations is on the way to detente, as channels of communication were opened between the two countries."
" This would pave the way for Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al- Thani's close visit to Damascus to meet President Bashar al-Assad, as he is to be preceded by his Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem," sources unveiled.
Syria's Arab League representative Youssef Ahmad told AFP in Cairo that Damascus would respond Tuesday to the plan. "We are dealing positively with the last proposal, which was drafted Sunday in Qatar."
Similarly, Algerian Foreign Minister Murad Medelci also sounded optimistic.
"We had a good meeting in Doha and found some common ground with our Syrian friends. I hope this will be confirmed in Cairo," he said Tuesday.
"The Syrian authority want the opposition to drop weapons, the Arab states to end their funding for the weapons and the opposition, and an end to the media campaign against Syria," "as-Safir" mentioned.
The United States, which has imposed sanctions on Syria's oil industry and key state businesses, said that if Syria accepted and implemented the Arab League's proposals it would be "very welcome."
Meanwhile, during his visit to the United Arab Emirates, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated Moscow's opposition to any Libya-style military intervention in Syria.
"If it depends on us, I don't think we will allow anything of that sort to be repeated in Syria," Lavrov stressed.
UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan echoed him.
"We do not think that there is any party which is willing to internationalize this matter. At least we Arabs don't," he said.
Electoral Law Ministerial Debate
In Lebanon, the Lebanese government convened Tuesday at "Baabda" Presidential Palace and on the top of discussions was the electoral law.
During the session, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said "it is important to achieve an electoral law that reflects a "fair parliamentary representation and which strengthens democracy and modernizes Lebanon's electoral system."
Minister of Information Walid Daouq reported quoted Mikati as saying "it is important to act quickly but not be hasty in approving the new electoral law," adding that "as of mid-November, the government will convene almost daily to discuss both the electoral law and the 2012 state budget."
"Even though no electoral system will be perfect... It is important to achieve an electoral law with broad support," Mikati reportedly said.
"As-Safir" daily reported that Minister of Administrative Development Mohammad Fneish declared during the session Hizbullah's principle support for the electoral project.
"In the same time we are open to debate on the subject of departments and divisions and in all other details. It is important that there be a common will where there is neither predominance nor exclusion," he added.
Noting that "this electoral law is a step in our political system's reform process," Fneish asserted that "we are all to contribute to the development of the system and to eliminate anything that may cause problems and crises."
The government also approved to separate parliamentary seats from ministerial posts.
Under the new constitution draft law, which will be later discussed by the government, it would no longer be possible for an individual to be both a member of parliament and a minister.
"President Michel Suleiman is expected to carry out his constitutional right and amend article 28 in order to prevent MPs from occupying a ministerial post," "as-Safir" reported.
Water and Energy Minister Jebran Bassil told "an-Nahar" daily that "the president had a positive attitude towards the reforms' suggestions."
"Separating a parliamentary seat from a ministerial post is an important issue. The suggestion was approved by the ministers and awaits the president's follow-up," Bassil said.
The ministers decided to complete the discussions on the electoral draft law by December, which if achieved; it would be seen as a major accomplishment.
STL New Evidences: "Mossad" Involved
At another context, "al-Akhbar" newspaper reported that former MP Hassan al-Sabia transferred lately a message from ex-PM Saad Hariri to his "Future" officials demanding them to "adopt the Syrian Revolution, defend the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and to confront the Mikati government while maintaining the required stability internally, regionally and internationally."
In parallel, "al-Akhbar" unveiled that "a document indicating a memorandum sent to the Pre-Trial Judge in the STL Daniel Fransen included information that could live up to the level of circumstantial evidence about the involvement of "Israeli" Mossad and its former head Meir Dagan, in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org
