Press Digest for Thursday April 26, 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 rejects to sign the 8900 billion decree
  

President Michel Sleiman told An-Nahar newspaper on Thursday that he rejects to sign any decree that contains “legal and constitutional violations,” cutting off all demands made by the March 8 forces to approve the $5.9 billion extra-budgetary spending of 2011.  

Sleiman said: “I won’t sign the decree because it includes legal and constitutional violations.”  

“I told the cabinet to amend the bill by taking into consideration the remarks of the parliamentary finance and budget committee and send return it to parliament,” the president told the newspaper.  

Sleiman reiterated that legal and constitutional experts informed him the bill would be challenged for being “illegal .”    

• Qortbawi: What you are supposed to do has been done 200 times before you

According to As-Safir newspaper the Minister of Justice Shakib Qortbawi addressed President Michel Sleiman during the last cabinet meeting to discuss publically the government’s spending outside the proposed budget plan.  

Qortbawi said “Mr. President… what you are supposed to sign has been signed by several presidents before you, Fouad Chehab signed it around 200 times, Kamil Chamoun 40 times, President Elias Sarkis around 45 times and these signatures allowed the government to issue decisive stances and regulations”.    

• Jumblatt sends several political messages
  

Sources revealed to Al-Joumhouria newspaper that the head of the National Struggle Front MP Walid Jumblatt’s last visit to Saudi Arabia was a personal visit and not an official one.   The sources added that Jumblatt meant to address several political messages to both March 8 and 14 coalitions to say that he is able to reopen all closed doors, especially in the Arab countries.              

• Hezbollah will try to maintain the cabinet until 2013 elections
  

Sources close to former PM Fouad Seniora told An-Nahar newspaper that Seniora and Kataeb President Amine Gemayel met on Wednesday to discuss the latest issues in the country, adding that the confidence vote issue was not discussed.  

The sources revealed that Gemayel and Seniora focused on unifying the ranks of March 14 forces to face all upcoming political changed, especially that Hezbollah will try to maintain the current government until 2013 parliamentarian elections to influence the outcome of the elections.