The following are summaries of today's major stories
published in the Arabic press. LBCI does not edit press digest articles for
content, giving English-language readers insight into the various views
expressed in newspapers across the Arab world.
The wage issue will be tabled on Wednesday, for the fourth
time, during the cabinet session whose agenda includes two plans submitted by
Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas, one of which is his own and the other one, he received on Tuesday, constitutes the legal version of the GLC-economic
bodies’ agreement.
An-Nahar daily learned on Wednesday that PM Najib Mikati was
intending to include the second plan to today’s agenda to speed up the process.
However, he decided to refer it to Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, who, in
turn, referred it to the labor minister so that the plan be submitted by him within
the framework of the political consensus reached earlier between Mikati,
Speaker Nabih Berri and Change and Reform Bloc Leader MP Michel Aoun.
According to the daily, the second plan, which embodies the
Baabda consensual agreement between workers and employers, will be annexed to a
draft law related to the transfer of transportation allowances that will be
referred by cabinet to parliament for legislation.
The cabinet is expected to address 38 items during today’s
session.
An-Nahar daily learned on Wednesday that the cabinet might
approve a decision today to remove the Jal El Dib Bridge immediately.
Ministerial sources confirmed that the decision was made a
few weeks ago and the bridge’s removal will be part of the solution given that
the achievement of the new project requires at least two years.
In this context, Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi explained
that, after receiving text messages warning against crossing the bridge, he
called Interior Minister Marwan Charbel with whom he agreed to ban trucks from
crossing the bridge averting any possible disaster.
President Michel Sleiman announced that wage adjustment will
be carried out soon in line with a formula that suits all parties, especially
that workers and employers have agreed on a solution, which can be used as a
platform for a decision in this regard, as he said.
As for administrative appointments, Sleiman told
As-Safir
that article 65 of the constitution stipulates that fundamental issues require
a two-thirds consent of the cabinet members, among these issues are key
appointments, as he said, calling for putting appointments to a majority vote.
Sleiman complained about the cabinet’s unproductivity with
regards to appointments, adding that no one has committed to the mechanism set
for appointments due to “the narrow interests of politicians and the
constitutional texts which stipulates a two-thirds vote.”
The president added that a two-thirds vote is difficult to
achieve, calling for amending the constitution so that the president would
recover the jurisdiction to decide on appointments.
Commenting on the dispute with General Michel Aoun over the
appointment of a new head of the Higher Judiciary Council, Sleiman said: “I
told him that Judge Alice Chaptini is the most senior in the cadre and the most
eligible for the post […] other candidates can be appointed when Chaptini is
retired; however he insisted on his position.”
Sleiman added that Aoun agreed on his suggestion to start
with the appointments of undisputed posts in order to oil the wheels of the
state.
As-Safir daily learned on Wednesday that investigators
affiliated with the STL asked Interior Minister Marwan Charbel to hand them the
fingerprints of certain Lebanese individuals. However, Charbel turned down
their request given that it was not made through the required legal channel.
The interior minister told them that, according to the
protocol signed with the Tribunal, any similar request can only be made through
the Public Prosecution.
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel confirmed to
An-Nahar daily
the end of the rescue operations for the missing persons under the rubble of the
Achrafieh collapsed building.
Charbel ruled out that there are corpses still trapped under
the rubble, adding however that this could only be possible in very rare cases.
Commenting on the flaws in the interior ministry that were
underscored by the tragedy, Charbel said “the interior ministry is concerned
with both security and humanitarian relief, but in such cases, we rely first on
the Civil Defense which is not well-equipped.”
In his concluding remarks, Charbel added that he ordered the
municipalities to launch a survey of all Lebanese old buildings.
The interior minister added that, based on the survey, the
cabinet will order the evacuation of all buildings vulnerable to collapse after
residential units are rented for the residents. The buildings will be
demolished and later reconstructed by the state, he added.