Lahoud for a new election law
Lebanon, Politics, 5/31/2005

In his first comment on the first phase of the parliamentary elections, the Lebanese President Emil Lahoud expressed his hope that the new parliament which will stem from the current elections will give priority to draw a new election law.

The press office of the President of the Republic said that Lahoud considered during his meeting with the chairman of the monitoring mission of the European parliament Carlos Carniro that the law rate of participation "ensures once again that the law on which the elections are made has not paved the way before all to express their views and define their options." However, despite the weak participation in the election process, the first phase of the elections which took place on Monday in Beirut was greatly welcomed by the UN and the European Union monitoring team.

The US secretary general Kofi Annan on Monday commended what he described the democracy of the elections which took place on Sunday in Lebanon for the first time since 30 years without foreign intervention and under an international monitoring in Lebanon.

Annan expressed in a statement issued by the UN media office in Beirut his hope that next elections sessions, which will be held on June 5, 12 and 19, will be held in the same "peaceful atmosphere" considering that the first phase of the elections was very encouraging.

For his part, the chairman of the European Union EU mission to monitor the elections, Jose Sanchaise, considered that the elections took place in atmospheres described by openness and transparency, according to internationally adopted criterion.

In a press conference held in Beirut, the European official expressed thanks for the Lebanese government over its cooperation with the UN observers and facilitating the voting process.

The chairman of the European parliament delegation Carlos Caliniro expected the new parliament to discuss political and legislative reforms, according to a new law for the elections.

Previous Stories:
  A sectarian mosaics for the Lebanese elections   (5/30/2005)
  Normal turnout for the parliamentary elections in Beirut   (5/30/2005)
  Lebanese Islamic group calls for boycotting the elections   (5/21/2005)
  One joint election list for the Lebanese opposition   (5/13/2005)
  Thousands of Christians demonstrate against the Lebanese elections law   (5/13/2005)
  Lahoud calls on the Lebanese government to embark on new elections law   (5/4/2005)

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