NNA - Incensed Member of Parliament, Boutros Harb, bewailed on Wednesday the Orthodox Gathering's electoral formula, saying it was tantamount to a visa for Christians to leave Lebanon.



Interviewed on LBC TV, the MP sounded pessimistic with regard to the course of future developments, in case the House of Parliament winds up legislating the Orthodox plan.



"That's why I cannot but disapprove -- along with a group of my intellectual Christian colleagues -- of this electoral project. But we will face it together," Harb pledged.



The lawmaker warned of plausible confrontations at the House of Parliament once legalizing the Orthodox law, saying that might as well torpedo elections.



"If they adopt this law in the same vein as yesterday's [by the Joint Parliamentary Committees], then it will mark an outright violation to the constitution and national consensus, hence will not make it through the Constitutional Council," Harb warned. He deemed this a national catastrophe that contradicts with all the basic components of the Lebanese state.



Harb went on to indicate that the Orthodox plan strikes down Lebanon's distinguished openness, diversity, and coexistence.



"Albeit it's still possible to spare Lebanon from this disaster (...) by seeking a way out, but I highly doubt the existence of intentions willing to do this, especially after the extensive celebrations we had witnessed following the Joint Committee's vote in favor of the Orthodox law."



Deeming this a flagrant attempt to strike Lebanon's unity, the MP saw in the likely adoption of the Orthodox plan either an attempt to blast elections and extend the Parliament and government's mandates, or a plan to snub it and come out with a law that serves March 8 better.


=============R.H.