Aoun at the heart of parliamentary extension debate

BEIRUT: Political parties from across the spectrum are still debating an almost-certain-to-pass extension of Parliament’s mandate, with some blaming the Free Patriotic Movement of hijacking the extension for the sake of the presidential vote.

FPM leader "Michel Aoun is trying to change the current political structure in order to reach the presidency, through marketing the tripartite theory and changing the whole structure of the Lebanese formula,” Lebanese Forces MP Fadi Karam said.

The lawmaker said that Aoun had rejected Parliament’s extension in an attempt to push for a constitutional conference that would establish a new tripartite power-sharing model between Sunnis, Shiites and Christians.

Change and Reform bloc MP Abbas Hashem called on Lebanese Forces and Kataeb Party leaders to agree with Aoun over the means of managing the transitional phase that would follow the extension of Parliament. Hashem said that Aoun’s Change and Reform bloc, which opposes the extension, also rejected the notion of a tripartite power-sharing model. However, “they do support a reconsideration of the leading Christian role in the country,” he added.

“Aoun is capable of reconciling between the Future Movement and Hezbollah, but he doesn’t have the authority to do so,” Hashem said, while noting that dialogue was the only means of achieving common ground between rival factions.

During Sunday Mass, Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai warned against changing the country’s power-sharing governance formula between Muslims and Christians and expressed his strong opposition to the idea since the move would serve as a violation of the Constitution and the National Pact that guaranteed equal rights and representation for both Muslims and Christians.

Earlier this week, Speaker Nabih Berri scheduled a legislative session for Nov. 5 to vote on a number of bills, including one that would extend Parliament's mandate by more than two and a half years.

The country's major Christian parties, the Free Patriotic Movement, the Kataeb Party and the Lebanese Forces, have spoken out against the extension, but it is unlikely that their members will boycott the session.

FPM MP Ibrahim Kanaan said Sunday that a bloc meeting was scheduled before the parliamentary session Wednesday, during which the bloc would agree on a final stand with regards to a parliamentary extension.

The bloc “is leaning toward boycotting the session, however, the decision is not yet final,” he said.

While the major Christian parties are still to decide their final stance on the vote, most view the outcome as almost certain.

“We are approaching a unpopular undemocratic decision in the coming days,” Amal MP Ayoub Hmayed said Saturday night. Despite misgivings about the extension, the lawmaker stressed on the need to preserve Lebanon from a “fatal vacancy,” especially since its implications on the coming phase remain unknown.