Beirut: The "Change Alliance" bloc, which includes MPs Michel Douaihy, Mark Daou, and Waddah Sadek, along with the bloc's secretary, former MP Rami Fanj, announced its decision not to attend the session called for by the House Speaker on Tuesday.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, the bloc explained that this decision is based on its members' commitment to the Lebanese Constitution, "which guarantees the rights of MPs and preserves their role in the face of those who insist on repeatedly violating it through unconstitutional practices," and "out of respect for democratic principles and to protect the role of Parliament as a legislative authority that expresses the will of the Lebanese people."
The bloc considered "the statements and actions of the Parliament Speaker to violate constitutional and legal principles and contrary to the most basic principles of democracy and legislative logic."
"It is unacceptable to prevent representatives from exercising their right and role in amending any law, or even amending the constitution when necessary. Laws are not sacred texts or divine books, and the principles of amending them are at the core of legislative work," the bloc affirmed in an issued statement.
It emphasized that the government must not be prevented from exercising its role in requesting amendments to laws, as this is one of its most basic rights guaranteed by the constitution.
"The right of Lebanese expatriates to vote is a constitutional right that cannot be distorted or politically blackmailed. Portraying it as targeting a specific sect is nothing but unacceptable misinformation and cheap incitement that undermines the principle of equality among Lebanese and deepens sectarian divisions," the statement underlined.
"Those responsible for marginalizing this sect are the same ones who plunged Lebanon into war and isolation, imposing partisan and factional wills that have paralyzed state institutions and harmed all Lebanese," the bloc stated.
"For these reasons, we will boycott Tuesday's session, hoping that the Speaker will return to the Constitution, restore the rights of a third of voters, and restore the Lebanese people's confidence that their parliament is still capable of adhering to the rule of law," the bloc's statement concluded.