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.
Al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Tuesday that President Michel Sleiman and Head of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc MP Mohamad Raad discussed during Monday's meeting their stances regarding the upcoming entitlements, i.e. the formation of a new government and the presidential elections.
"President Sleiman reiterated his stance calling for the formation of a neutral cabinet," sources close to Hezbollah told the daily.
Sleiman was quoted as saying that he wants to avoid political vacuum, noting that "a caretaker government is unable to manage the country's affairs".
President Sleiman also heard a detailed explanation from MP Raad about the latest speech of Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on the occasion of Hajj Hassan Laqees memorial service.
MP Raad stressed that any attempt to form an "unbalanced" government will lead the country into sedition, adding that Hezbollah, all the March 8 forces and the Free Patriotic Movement will stand against it.
The guests of Speaker Nabih Berri quoted him as saying that "he is pessimistic regarding the situation in Lebanon and the region in general".
Sources close to the guests told
Al-Akhbar daily that Berri was pessimistic regarding the next phase since "the situation is very tense in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and the whole region. There is no sign of backtracking".
"A state of hostility with Saudi Arabia is to be avoided," Speaker Berri warned, adding that "such hostility would lead to a raging war in the region".
Sources told
Al-Joumhouria newspaper that President Michel Sleiman has launched a series of political consultations with the Lebanese leaders, noting that he met some of them.
"President Sleiman said the country is in need of a new government with the beginning of the year 2014," the sources said, noting that "if the parties fail to form a new cabinet within the early days of the new year, the cabinet formation process will become impossible by February".
Caretaker Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil stressed on Tuesday that Lebanon needs a government that is able to assume its responsibilities and in which all parties are represented.
"The new cabinet should be able to meet challenges and be a prelude to a political settlement by restoring internal relations," he told
Al-Joumhouria daily.
The Minister voiced his rejection to any kind of government that leads to division and the further deterioration of security in the country.