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.
Deputy Nadim Gemayel said the Kataeb Party “may boycott Monday’s
General Authority session called upon by House Speaker Nabih Berri, since it
will lead to more disputes among Lebanese citizens”.
Gemayel told As-Seyassah newspaper that it would have been better
to hold a General Authority session amid other circumstances, adding that
Lebanese officials should be dealing with priorities that serve Lebanon’s
interest.
On another note, Gemayel highlighted the importance of forming a
new cabinet in order to avoid political vacuum and maintain constitutional
institutions, voicing his support to extending the mandate of the Lebanese Armed
Forces Commander General Jean Kahwagi.
House Speaker Nabih Berri said the agenda of Monday’s General
Authority session, which is made up of 45 items including draft laws pertaining
to raising the retirement age of security and military leaders, was unanimously approved during the Parliament’s Bureau session.
Berri told
Al-Joumhouria newspaper that today’s session will be held on time if quorum is reached, adding that the resignation of the cabinet should not be
related to other constitutional institutions.
As for the formation of
the cabinet, Berri called for speeding up this process, stressing that it is
not related to the Parliament’s General Authority session.
Prime Minister-Designate Tammam Salam
said that he discussed with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman the formation of
the cabinet and agreed with him on exerting more efforts with various political
factions.
In this regard, Salam said that he
will be waiting for the initiatives of House Speaker Nabih Berri and National
Struggle Front Leader MP Walid Jumblatt.
As for the Saudi stance regarding the
formation of the cabinet and Hezbollah’s participation in it, Salam told As-Safir
newspaper that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia informed Lebanese officials that
this is an internal matter, stressing that it will not interfere in it.
In this regard, Salam highlighted the
necessity of forming a new cabinet in order to deal with the security and
political incidents in Lebanon and improve the economic situation.
Salam added that he will be exerting
more pressure in order to reach a national unity cabinet capable of keeping Lebanon away from internal political divisions.
Parliamentary sources told
Al-Joumhouria newspaper that Monday’s General Authority session will be held
even if Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and other ministers boycotted it,
since the parliament is an independent institution and various sessions were
held in the absence of the cabinet and the prime minister.
The sources added that the General
Authority session is legal with respect to article 69 of the constitution and
mentioned that there is no need to hold extraordinary sessions once the cabinet
resigns.
Sources close to the Head of the
National Struggle Front MP Walid Jumblatt said that during a meeting held with
the US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, Jumblatt criticized the
US stance regarding the Syrian situation, and considered that US authorities
did not comply with their obligations towards the Syrian opposition.
In this regard, Al-Joumhouria newspaper said that Jumblatt informed
Burns that Lebanon is not capable of bearing the repercussions of the Syrian
war, and called on Washington to take a tougher line “to stop the massacres committed
against the Syrian people”.