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Lebanon: Aoun Hints he Would Resort to Constitutional Powers over Electoral Law Dispute | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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President Michel Aoun receiving a delegation of Lebanese Ambassadors Forum chaired by Ambassador Khalil Makkawi (NNA)


Beirut – Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Thursday that he would not accept any violations of the Constitution during his term.

“During my tenure, I will not allow violations of the constitution or disregard to the Lebanese people’s will for change,” Aoun said during a meeting with a delegation from the Lebanese Ambassadors Forum.

Aoun stressed that the new electoral law should “ensure equity and respect the voice of voters and the spirit of justice.”

“We have our Constitutional powers which we will use in favor of preventing any violation of the Constitution, in case any near solution is not reached,” the president said.

Meanwhile, a delegation from the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) visited Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh at his residence in Bnashii.

In remarks following the meeting, Franjieh expressed his support to an electoral law that provides just representation for all political parties without any exceptions.

“We simply support any just law, not complicated laws similar to the ones suggested recently,” Franjieh told reporters, referring to the hybrid law proposed lately by the main political parties.

“Coordination between Marada and the PSP has been ongoing for over a year now. Today we support them because they are facing a war of elimination under the banner of Christian rights,” he added.

The Marada leader said that he did not reject the 1960 law, which is based on the majority system but “supports laws that serve justice for all.”

“I don’t support complicated laws,” he said.

For his part, PSP member and former Minister Akram Shehayyeb said: “We are open to all suggestions outside the framework of personal arrangements.”