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.
As-Safir
daily reported on Wednesday that when Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas was
asked how he managed to occupy a ministerial position, he would confirm that “I
don’t hail from a political family…I’m not a wealthy man seeking to increase or
preserve my wealth…”, adding that he met General Michel Aoun in 2005; “I didn’t
know him before then and maybe he had never heard of me.”
After both
officials met, they realized immediately the confluence of their ideas and that
their dreams converge on “change and reform”.
Accordingly,
Aoun was convinced of Nahhas’ ability to become “an added value to the change
and reform project,” and thus, Nahhas became minister.
However, the
road towards preset goals was not of feathery comfort. Nahhas was repeatedly
subjected to delicate tests and maybe the hardest was when differences erupted
within the same team: Nahhas was surprised to see that the Change and Reform
bloc ministers, part of which were affiliated with the FPM, have voted against
his wage-related draft law in favor of the famous consensual agreement.
Once, when
Nahhas was extending birthday well-wishes to Aoun, the latter whispered to him
“I want you to sign the transportation decree”.
Nahhas was
intrigued by this demand; accordingly, he cut all connections with the external
world and stayed at home to weigh the options and ponder over possibilities. He
was seeking an exit that would reconcile between his loyalty to the General
through signing the decree and standing by his convictions which imply the
non-violation of law.
Nahhas
decided to hold a direct meeting with Aoun during which he would lay on the
table the “signed” transportation decree annexed to his resignation letter. In
other words, the labor minister wanted to covey to Aoun the following message
“my signature reflects my loyalty while my resignation expresses my dignity.”
Then, Nahhas
called Rabieh to arrange an immediate meeting with Aoun; however, his
request was denied twice after he was told on each time that “the General is
busy.”
Aoun dispatched
MP Alain Aoun to Nahhas asking him to sign the transportation decree “nothing
more or less”, provided that Nahhas puts the note related to the reference of
the decree to the Shura council in a separate page. Nahhas was consequently
angered. He told his Aounist visitor: “Am I requested to become like certain
members of the cabinet? Look at me… do you see that person in me?”
“I want you
to hand [this document] to General Aoun?” Nahhas added.
“What
[document]?”, Aoun asked.
“My
resignation letter”, said Nahhas.
According to
An-Nahar daily, Speaker Nabih Berri has refused to comment on the resignation
of Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas, simply saying that “the remarks made by
General Michel Aoun during his press conference are 100% sound and confirm the
wisdom of the responsible leader especially when he announced that the minister
of labor’s resignation will be referred to cabinet.”
In this context,
An-Nahar reported that National Struggle Front Leader MP Walid Jumblatt sent a
letter to Berri that read “I support you in whatever decision or step you make
at the parliament.”
In a
statement to
An-Nahar, Jumblatt, who will not participate in the legislative
session today, explained that the “profound” political dispute between his
party and the Movement over the Syrian issue will not affect the cabinet’s work
and fate as well as the relationship between its different members since his
party “affirms the importance of cooperation and operational coordination.”
Meanwhile,
MP Ibrahim Kanaan confirmed to An-Nahar that the majority is seeking to endorse
his draft law regarding the transportation allowance on the grounds that it
constitutes a solution and a guarantee of the cabinet’s work and of the
non-revocation of the decrees that determine the transportation allowance.
Al-Liwaa
daily reported on Wednesday that the legislative session is facing three possibilities:
referring both drafts law to the committees, returning them to cabinet or
introducing amendments to both of them though the combination is difficult in
this regard.
The daily
added that there is a fourth possibility pondered overnight which is postponing
the discussions of both draft laws until Thursday if the transportation decree
was not blocked today due to Aoun’s abstention from sending Nahhas’ resignation
letter before a guarantee that he will receive what he has earned in return for
Nahhas’ resignation.
It was
reported that Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri have reached a political agreement
over upcoming appointments suggesting “Nahhas’ head in return for the post of Higher
Judicial Council chief.”