Lebanon's parliament has tabled a proposal to
offer basic rights to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees.
The proposed legislation - the subject of a heated debate on Tuesday -
would allow Palestinian refugees to work and own property in Lebanon.
Nabih Berri, the parliament speaker, referred the bill to a committee
for a one-month review.
Palestinian refugees have long been a
controversial subject in Lebanon, and the debate cut across Lebanon's
usual political alliances.
Saad Hariri, the Lebanese prime minister, supports the new
legislation - as do Hezbollah and Amal, two of his chief rivals from the
so-called March 8 alliance.
Walid Jumblatt, the Druze politician and head of
the Progressive Socialist Party, also endorsed the bill.
"The Palestinian refugees have been waiting [for] 62 years, and we
are not granting them the minimum of their rights," he said.
موضوع: Lebanon MPs debate refugee rights 
الخميس 17 يونيو 2010 - 21:28
