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.
Speaker
Nabih Berri told
An-Nahar that he was not satisfied with what happened during
the legislative session “even if the democratic game allows the MPs to withdraw
from the session.”
Berri added
that he did not adjourn the session because of a lack of quorum, but to avert any national rift.
The speaker
told the daily that he was not comfortable with the speech delivered by former
PM Fouad Siniora as well as his call for the withdrawal of the parliamentary
bloc and the pressure he exerted. He added that his decision to adjourn the
session until March 5 aimed at reaching a final agreement on the
extra-budgetary spending of LL8.9 trillion and determining the ways in which the $11
billion was spent by previous governments.
Berri
stressed that “voting will take its natural course during the upcoming
session”, voicing support for forming a parliamentary commission that
represents the majority and opposition in order to conduct an exhaustive
inspection of the $11 billion case.
PM Najib
Mikati announced that the cabinet sessions will resume on Monday at 9:30 a.m.,
explaining that the session will discuss piled-up issues and another session will be called for during the upcoming week.
Asked
whether he was going to retable the administrative appointments issue, Mikati
told
As-Safir that “we are currently under a friendly atmosphere; I don’t want
to start the new phase rigidly…the appointments issue is moving towards a
solution; we want to let the issue simmer away from tension.”
Mikati said
he was comfortable with the outcome of the Thursday legislative session, adding
that it was useful to adjourn the session in order to reach agreement on certain
points
The prime
minister explained that he supports dealing with the issue of the $11 billion
spent by previous governments on the basis of the determination of an expenditure
ceiling, adding that determining a ceiling does not prevent the scrutiny of any
illegal expenditure and subjecting the defaulter to accountability.
As-Safir
daily learned on Friday that President Michel Sleiman and PM Najib Mikati will
announce today the name of the new minister to replace outgoing Labor Minister
Charbel Nahhas, adding that the replacement is likely to be Judge Salim
Jraisati.
Ministerial
sources reported that the new minister name will be selected among many names
put forth by Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun.
Hezbollah
Leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will make an appearance on Friday during a
ceremony to commemorate the father of the Islamic Resistance former Leader
Sayyed Abbas Moussawi in the Bekaa town of Nabi Chit.
Hezbollah
sources confirmed to
Al-Liwaa that Nasrallah’s speech will tackle the Lebanese
internal affairs and outline major positions on the domestic and regional
situation.
Change and
Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan told
An-Nahar that that the formation of a
commission to look into the financial cases was tabled by Speaker Nabih Berri
on the basis of passing the LL8.9 trillion-related draft law and other draft
laws included in the agenda, adding that talks before March 5 will only focus
on these draft laws.
Kanaan told
the daily that it is not permissible to compare between the LL8.9
trillion-related draft law and the expenditure of the $11 billion.