Press Digest for Satruday March 31, 2012

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.                         

• Sleiman: cabinet productivity “on the right track”    

President Michel Sleiman told As-Safir daily that “the cabinet has been placed on the right track” in terms of productivity.     

As for the appointments issue, Sleiman explained that the more the appointments are consistent with the relevant mechanism, the easier the procedure becomes, confirming that part of appointments has been carried out in line with the mechanism with no objection expressed in this regard.     

The president revealed that, within a maximum period of two weeks, the cabinet will resume discussions of the electoral law, confirming that Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai is “basically” not opposed to an electoral law based on proportionality.                           

• Did the General Electric offer to Mikati turn out to be a hoax?  

As-Safir daily learned that the offer allegedly proposed by General Electric to PM Najib Mikati was the focus of discussions during the recent cabinet session.     

Well-informed sources described the offer as “a scandal” given that the offer turned out to be plotted by an employee for the aforementioned company who had sent an email to certain sources offering them to resort to a Turkish entrepreneur and to accept the offer with no biddings.   

Official sources from the General Electric confirmed that the company has not presented any offer to establish a power plant in Lebanon.       

The daily added that certain representatives of the company had visited each of the prime minister and Energy Minister Gebran Bassil to extend their apology over the misunderstanding.     

• Assir: I will take part in Wadi Khaled protest, Tripoli visit will come under the right conditions     

The Imam of Bilal bin Rabbah mosque in Abra Sheikh Ahmad Al Assir confirmed to As-Safir daily that he will participate as guest in the protest staged in solidarity with the Syrian people at Wadi Khaled after receiving an invitation from Arab tribes.       

Asked about his replacement of the Tripoli visit with the Wadi Khaled visit, Assir said “I will come to Tripoli sooner or later but under the right conditions. I received an invitation from the Arab tribes in Wadi Khaled while the invitation addressed to me by Sheikh Omar bin Bakri was publically announced before consulting with me.”     

• Hariri ready for an international-Arab tour      

Al-Joumhouria daily reported that former PM Saad Hariri is preparing to go soon on an international and Arab tour including the U.S., the UK Turkey and Qatar.                        

• A tripartite meeting to discuss the electoral law        

An-Nahar daily reported that the meeting between President Michel Sleiman, PM Najib Mikati and Interior Minister Marwan Charbel to discuss the electoral law issue was set following discussions during the recent cabinet sessions.     
Charbel called during the session for finding a definite solution for the electoral law whose adoption should be a year ahead of legislative elections, rather than waiting for tabling the law shortly before elections and the ministry is thereby stopping short of fulfilling its duties.