<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:10pt"><DIV><B><FONT face=Verdana size=3>
<P align=left>University group leads resurgent push for creation of new electoral law</P></FONT><I><FONT face=Verdana size=1>
<P align=left>'Many people don't realize how important it is' to vote</P></I></FONT><FONT face=Verdana color=#000065 size=1>
<P align=left>By Maria Abi-Habib</P></B></FONT><FONT face=Verdana color=#666666 size=1>
<P align=left>Daily Star staff</P></FONT><FONT face=Verdana color=#2a2a2a size=1>
<P align=left>BEIRUT: Disappointed that the so-called "Cedar Revolution" failed to bring about electoral reforms,</P>
<P align=left>university students are pushing their fellow youths to support a draft law submitted to the government</P>
<P align=left>last year. "I'm disappointed because we had the Cedar Revolution in 2005 and they didn't create a new</P>
<P align=left>electoral law," said Sana Tannoury, a Lebanese American University (LAU) student affiliated with the</P>
<P align=left>University Initiative for Electoral Reform (UIFER). "The draft law creates a third line - a new generation</P>
<P align=left>of politicians to eliminate all existing ones - which is why I think the politicians are not implementing</P>
<P align=left>it."</P>
<P align=left>Though parliamentary elections aren't slated to be held until 2009, an ongoing row between the</P>
<P align=left>government and the opposition may yet result in early polls, in which case UIFER wants the country to</P>
<P align=left>be prepared with a new electoral law - a step all political parties advocated before the 2005 elections</P>
<P align=left>but was never realized.</P>
<P align=left>In July 2005, the newly elected Parliament appointed a panel headed by former Minister Fouad Boutros</P>
<P align=left>to draft a new electoral law. Its recommendations were scheduled to be discussed in Parliament on July</P>
<P align=left>13, 2006, the second day of the summer war with Israel.</P>
<P align=left>To regain momentum, UIFER plans to have the draft law taught in eight leading universities this</P>
<P align=left>semester, including LAU, Notre Dame University (NDU) and</P>
<P align=left>the American University of Beirut. The group hopes students will then pressure Parliament</P>
<P align=left>to consider the draft during its next session, scheduled to open in mid-March.</P>
<P align=left>"All parties are ignoring the law. This isn't a March 8 versus March 14 issue; neither wants to discuss</P>
<P align=left>the law," said Eugen Dabbous, a UIFER member and professor at NDU. "UIFER has one main goal: to</P>
<P align=left>keep this draft law from being swept under the rug."</P>
<P align=left>Dabbous began familiarizing his students with the draft law last semester.</P>
<P align=left>"Politicians are demanding a new electoral law and new elections but there's this draft law that no one</P>
<P align=left>is discussing," said Jeffery Karam, an NDU student and UIFER member. "We want to know why the</P>
<P align=left>government hasn't passed the draft law."</P>
<P align=left>The group is touting the draft law as an opportunity for youths to reclaim their rightful role in the</P>
<P align=left>country.</P>
<P align=left>"In any political system students are going to be the future of the country and should push for laws to</P>
<P align=left>reform the state," Tannoury said.</P>
<P align=left>Professors at NDU and LAU began incorporating the draft law into their curricula last semester. Pleased</P>
<P align=left>with the results, UIFER decided to include more universities this semester.</P>
<P align=left>"The parliamentarians are going to look ridiculous if the students come up with a new law and they</P>
<P align=left>don't - that is the new Lebanon. The young are supposed to be getting prepared to take over their</P>
<P align=left>country for the future instead of walking around with sticks and hitting people," Dabbous said, referring</P>
<P align=left>to sectarian clashes at two universities in late January that left four dead and over 150 wounded.</P>
<P align=left>"Do we want [students] riding around on scooters chanting party slogans or do we want them to deal</P>
<P align=left>with the difficult task of government reform?" he asked.</P></FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman">
<P align=left>Page The Daily Star - - University group leads resurgent push for creation of new electoral law e 1 of 2</P>
<P align=left>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/printable.asp?art_ID=79714&cat_ID=1 2/21/2007</P></FONT><FONT face=Verdana color=#2a2a2a size=1>
<P align=left>UIFER member also note that the proposed draft law would allow more students to take part in the</P>
<P align=left>practice of democracy.</P>
<P align=left>"It's important to show students that if this law passes, we students will be eligible to vote and be part</P>
<P align=left>of the political process," said Karam. "Most university students are between the ages of 18 and 22 -</P>
<P align=left>and the draft law will reduce the voting age from 21 to 18."</P>
<P align=left>Tannoury added that once students learn about the electoral process they will see how much is at</P>
<P align=left>stake and want to become involved.</P>
<P align=left>"The draft law is important to teach in universities as there are some students who will know nothing</P>
<P align=left>about elections - there's this illiteracy on voting," she said. "Many people don't realize how important it</P>
<P align=left>is to decide who will represent you, especially in Lebanon, where if your dad votes for that party, you</P>
<P align=left>do. This will tell people that they have the right to chose and their vote will decide the future of the</P>
<P align=left>country."</P>
<P align=left>The draft law contains several elements, including: a hybrid electoral system mixing proportional</P>
<P align=left>representation with a simple majority system; a 30 percent quota for women on each party list; caps</P>
<P align=left>on campaign spending; and the establishment of an independent commission to monitor elections.</P>
<P align=left>UIFER sees the application of proportional representation and an independent commission as the two</P>
<P align=left>most important aspects of the draft. Dabbous said that pressure from students could ensure these</P>
<P align=left>concepts are not watered down in Parliament.</P>
<P align=left>"Parliament will just appoint another useless commission ... that looks good on paper but is</P>
<P align=left>ineffective," he said. "The second issue is to save proportional representation - the MPs are worried</P>
<P align=left>about [proportional representation] as they won't be able to cheat anymore. Well-educated,</P>
<P align=left>experienced students and those in civil society will help save these two items."</P></FONT></DIV></div></body></html>