Speaker Nabih Berri’s call to begin the process of abolishing sectarianism in politics was greeted Thursday with criticism of the lack of national consensus on the issue, along with counter-calls for establishing a federal system. Prime Minister Saad Hariri said Thursday the formation of a national committee tasked with the abolishment of political sectarianism necessitated consensus of all Lebanese factions, which currently does not exist.
“Consensus on the issue is the basis, and if certain stances don’t support the formation of a committee, then it means there’s no consensus over the issue,” Hariri told reporters at the Grand Serail in downtown Beirut.
During a news conference on Wednesday, Berri said the abolishment of political sectarianism was not optional, but rather mandatory in accordance with the Taif Accord, while underlining that participation in the committee was open to all religious sects, which would choose their own representatives. The speaker had said some parties’ claims that the formation of the committee necessitated consensus weren’t justified.
However, Hariri said that since the current Cabinet was a national unity government, he was interested in issues that brought the Lebanese together, rather than dividing them.
“I believe Berri thinks similarly,” Hariri said.
But Berri reiterated Thursday before visitors at his residence in Ain al-Tineh that the current circumstances, given the presence of a national unity Cabinet, constituted the best moment in years to liberate the Lebanese people from sectarianism.
Voicing support for Berri’s call, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt said in remarks published on Thursday by the daily Al-Safir that “there’s nothing wrong with forming a committee tasked with the abolishment of political sectarianism in accordance with the Constitution.”
March 14 groups have linked the formation of the committee to the full implementation of the 1989 Taif Accord, namely ensuring total state sovereignty and the exclusive authority over the possession of arms, a reference to Hizbullah and armed Palestinian factions.
Labor Minister and Batroun MP Butros Harb said Thursday the issue of abolishing political sectarianism was a source of conflict between Cabinet members, as he underscored the need to tackle the issue by staying away from bickering in the media, which could lead to national division rather than unity.
The Phalange Party and the Lebanese Forces have said the current conditions of domestic challenges and foreign threats to the country were unfavorable for such a step, while Berri’s ally in the former opposition, Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun also raised concerns about the issue, saying Wednesday that it required preparations before being tackled to avoid negative repercussions.
On Thursday, former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said that the Taif Accord should be implemented as a whole rather than picking out certain clauses, while underscoring that the abolishment of political sectarianism was a constitutional step but required sufficient preparations in order to bolster public support.
For his part, Metn MP Sami Gemayel said a federal state should be established if political sectarianism is to be abolished.
Echoing the stance of the Maronite patriarch, Gemayel said that abolishing sectarianism from the country’s legislation rather than people’s hearts would lead to the domination by sects with the largest numbers.
“As long as we live in a centralized state, political sectarianism should be maintained,” Gemayel said, adding that “guarantees should be made to ensure that none of the religious sects in Lebanon seeks to abolish the other.”
“Therefore, abolishing these guarantees mean that others should be provided, and if we want to abolish political sectarianism, we should [move toward] a federal state,” Gemayel added.
Also, Phalange Party official and Social Affairs Minister Salim Sayegh said his party rejected the partial implementation of the Taif Accord, while calling for a comprehensive framework to promote several reforms in order to reach a civil and secular state.
“The Phalange Party does not fear the abolishment of political sectarianism or any other reforms, but we fear their partial implementation,” Sayegh said, adding that “given the presence of illegitimate weapons being disputed by the Lebanese, the circumstances aren’t favorable for such step.”
Meanwhile, the National Bloc called for setting up another national committee, tasked with disarming militias.
“In light of Speaker’s Berri calling for establishing a national committee for abolishing political sectarianism, the National Bloc would like to suggest setting up another national higher committee, tasked with disarming militias,” a statement by the group said.
Criticizing Hizbullah’s possession of weapons outside state authority, the National Bloc said “reforming state administrations will be impossible given the presence of weapons in the hands of a militia that aimed to grab hold over all the government’s institutions.”
Baalbek-Hermel MP Marwan Fares, an official with the fiercely anti-sectarian Syrian Social Nationalist Party, said he supported Berri’s call.
“We support abolishing political sectarianism, and then eliminating sectarianism,” Fares said.
“There are [different] sects and religions in France, Germany and everywhere in the world, why is this a problem?”
Source:http://www.dailystar.com.lb
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