Jumblat: Majority Has Right to Meet ‘Anywhere’ to Elect New President
| Druze leader Walid Jumblat warned that in the event that Parliament doors remained shut, the majority has the right to meet “anywhere” to elect a new President for Lebanon. “The constitution does not require an (electoral) session to be held in parliament,” Jumblat told Al Jazeera news network. “There are precedents in this regard where Presidents Bashir Gemayel, Elias Sarkis and Rene Mouawad were elected at different venues,” Jumblat said. “Yes. It is our constitutional right to meet as parliamentary majority to elect a new president anywhere we please if the doors of parliament were shut on us, as they were closed two months ago” Jumblat stressed. He described the concern over electing a head of state with a two-thirds simple majority vote as a “constitutional innovation,” reiterating his rejection to constitutional amendments that would serve the interest of individuals. Jumblat also brought to mind comments made by Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Tuesday in which he warned that boycotting presidential elections would be unfair and ruinous to Lebanon |
| Beirut, 30 Aug 07 |
