Lebanese demonstrators protest after Parliament rejected a constitutional amendment that was supposed to allow the Lebanese community to vote at the age of 18. Beirut, Lebanon. 22/02/2010.
Lebanese members of Parliament showed up at the Parliament in down town Beirut to discuss a constitutional amendment that was supposed to allow young Lebanese to vote at 18 years. This proposition of law is not supported by Christian parties because, according to the Kataeb party, it will increase by 9% the number of Muslim voters while the number of Christians will only rise by 4.5%.
This morning, the Future parliamentary bloc as well as other Christian deputies including Hezbollah ally Free patriotic movement refrained from voting the law. A total of 66 MPs refrained from voting. Outside, numerous associations from the civil society were demonstrating for a global reform of the electoral system.
