Introduction to the evening news 29-01-2013

The major test pertaining to the electoral law is tomorrow at the Parliament; which law will be agreed upon?                

It seems that the answer is not clear yet since not only Lebanese officials are involved in this issue but also French officials.               

After meeting with the Head of the National Struggle Front on Monday, the French President Francois Hollande will be meeting tomorrow with the Kataeb Party Leader Amin Gemayel.              

On Thursday, Former PM Saad Hariri will appear in Kalam Ennas and what is obvious so far is that he will be proposing a new electoral law on the basis of proportionality.              

The link between Ain el-Tineh, the Nejmeh Square, and the Elysee Palace is weak, but it is not a coincidence that France opens its doors for negotiations with various Lebanese poles.                          

Is France checking on the Lebanese situation so it may carry out a deal related to the Parliamentary elections and goes beyond the elections?         

This answer is also not clear yet since the Lebanese elections are now linked to more than one internal and external entitlement.       

A new but old entitlement imposed itself on the Lebanese scene; the civil marriage.              

After Grand Mufti Mohammad Rashid Qabbani's speech, MP Sami Gemayel responded today by saying that the latter's speech violates the civil state.                    

The most dominant stance in regard of civil marriage was that of President Michel Sleiman who said that "the abstention from signing an endorsed decision contradicts the Taif Agreement," and added that this is a part of his constitutional responsibilities.                      

As for PM Najib Makati, he said that this is a controversial issue and hoped that it would not be raised at this specific time.


All these developments and more in our detailed news bulletin.