Optimism Election Committee Will Be the Start of New Phase
Democratic Gathering bloc leader MP Walid Jumblat said that, while the formation of a committee to oversee Lebanon’s parliamentary elections may not be ideal, it could be the start of an electoral environment free of chaos, tension, intimidation and threats.
In his weekly column for Al-Anbaa daily, which is run by Jumble’s Progressive Socialist Party, the MP wrote that “the ability of political forces” to embrace “national responsibility” in the coming elections would establish a new phase to re-establish trust and credibility among Lebanese parties and “pave the way for a state project that takes into account the concerns of all parties and protects all citizens without exception.”
“We look forward to the adoption of a new law different from the current law, against which we clearly objected to since the outset, but the political conditions necessitated the adoption,” Jumblatt said in reference to the electoral law adopted in Doha in May, 2008.
The MP also said he hoped that the Taif Accord would be implemented in terms of the formation of a senate concerned with national issues and that took into account the representation of Lebanon’s major communities.
And on economic and livelihood issues, Jumblatt highlighted the importance of the public transport sector and its benefits to citizens, saying that it was necessary to purchase new buses and regulate taxis. Jumblatt also called for tightened security measures against illegal vehicles.