BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman reiterated Friday night his call on Lebanese expatriates to refrain from voting in the event MPs adopted the controversial Orthodox Gathering electoral proposal, which he described as a sectarian voting system.

“I hope in the event a sectarian law is [passed], expatriates will never vote or choose to vote for MPs not on the basis of their sect and that will be my demand if Parliament is forced to sign a sectarian law; [in a bid] to move expats away from sectarianism,” Sleiman said at the Lebanese Embassy in Ivory Coast. Sleiman, who is on an official visit to African states, has been rallying against the adoption of the Orthodox Gathering proposal which has won the support of the majority of Christian parties as well as Hezbollah and the Amal Movement. The draft has been endorsed at the parliamentary committee level. [Link]