MP Fneish rejects election of "president of the crisis"

Source: Nowlebanon.com, 10-04-2008
"Those who talk of dialogue in Baabda contradict themselves," said MP Muhammad Fneish of the Future bloc. "If there were agreement, there would be no need for dialogue. It is the presence of divisions which necessitates dialogue," he added.
Fneish said requesting dialogue under the supervision of a President of the Republic was a "jump" over the Lebanese crisis and a negation of its existence.
After meeting with former Prime Minister Salim Hoss, alongside MPs Amin Cherri and Nouwar Al-Sahili, Fneish refused the election of "a president of the crisis," adding that the president should not be set before the existing national divide.
"We want the election of a president to be part of the resolution of the existing problem, especially with regards to the formation of authority and the electoral law," Fneish continued. He also said the election of a president risked pitting the elected state leader against attempts to deactivate his role and limit his influence.
"At this stage, we need an electoral law which guarantees wide participation and representation, as any aligning actions require the representation of the Lebanese society in its entirety," Fneish said, adding that the 1960 electoral law best achieved such needs.
MP Fneish also said the disappearance of Muhammad Zuhair Al-Saddiq, the main witness to the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, necessitated an official explanation by French authorities of the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.