Withdrawing the draft bill of Palestinians ' right to ownership in Lebanon
Lebanon-Palestine, Politics, 10/14/2003

The Speaker of the Lebanese parliament Nabih Berri yesterday withdrew from the agenda of the parliament a debate on a draft bill to introduce amendment on a previous law that bans the Palestinian refugees from the right to ownership in Lebanon.

Lebanese parliamentarian Qabalan Issa al-Khouri said in a press statement that Berri did not discuss the draft bill because of the sensitivity this issue raised among the Lebanese "and because it is damaging for the Palestinians because if they can own land in Lebanon they will not return back home."

The Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri on Saturday considered that debating this topic is not appropriate in time or place, in remarks "to the draft law which was submitted to the parliament." Ten parliamentarians representing various parliamentary blocs had proposed a draft bill aiming at permitting the Palestinian to own one house as residence in Lebanon.

Worthy mentioning that the Lebanese parliament in 2001 introduced an amendment on the law on foreigners ownership to that it bans the Palestinians -- even those who marry a Lebanese -- from ownership in Lebanon under the pretext of taking steps preventing the settlement of the Palestinians in Lebanon.

However, UNRWA statistics say that there are 275,000 Palestinian refugees, half of them are living in 12 refugees camps spread all over the Lebanese territories.

Previous Stories:
  Lahoud refuses freeze of bank accounts for Hamas   (9/27/2003)
  Lahoud stresses Palestinians rights to return   (8/19/2003)
  Hariri, Hammoud discuss with Qaddoumi developments; Lebanon committed to support the Palestinians   (1/4/2003)

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