House Speaker Nabih Berri voting in Parliament Thursday. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine)
Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel yesterday strongly objected to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s shutting down Thursday’s presidential election session — a decision made after 8 March MPs withdrew from the chamber and the house lost quorum (less than 86 MPs, i.e. less than two-thirds of the House). Gemayel asked the Speaker upon which article of the constitution he based his decision to close the session for want of quorum. Berri replied with a joke, then asked the MP to come see him to discuss the matter in private.What the constitution says“The President of the Republic is elected, in the first round, by secret ballot by a two-thirds (86 MPs) majority of the House. In subsequent rounds, an absolute majority (65 MPs) is sufficient.” Before discussing the actual voting, it should be noted that Article 49 says nothing specific about quorum for...
Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel yesterday strongly objected to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s shutting down Thursday’s presidential election session — a decision made after 8 March MPs withdrew from the chamber and the house lost quorum (less than 86 MPs, i.e. less than two-thirds of the House). Gemayel asked the Speaker upon which article of the constitution he based his decision to close the session for want of quorum. Berri replied with a joke, then asked the MP to come see him to discuss the matter in private.What the constitution says“The President of the Republic is elected, in the first round, by secret ballot by a two-thirds (86 MPs) majority of the House. In subsequent rounds, an absolute majority (65 MPs) is sufficient.” Before discussing the actual voting, it should be noted that Article 49 says nothing specific about...
