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.
According to
Al-Diyar newspaper, PM Najib Mikati accounted that the discussions between President Michel Aoun and the head of the Free Patriotic Movement Michel Aoun are on the right track as the executive power in Lebanon should be the reference for all political activities and all political leaders should support it.
“We decided to appoint the head of the judiciary body as a start for administrative appointments”, Mikati said, pointing that all appointments will be done on a meritocracy basis to fill all the vacant positions in the public services.
PM Mikati denied that any appointment was done without the consensus of a political party.
Parliamentarian sources told
Al-Akhbar newspaper that the meeting between Speaker Nabih Berri and the head of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun’s envoy MP Ibrahim Kenaan was set to discuss to the latest developments in the country such as the 2012’s budget, the government’s cash flow, the administrative appointments and the electoral law.
The sources revealed that both Amal and FPM parliamentarian bloc are discussing a broader political cooperation in the parliament as well as the cabinet.
On the wage adjustment issue, the sources said that Speaker Berri and General Michel Aoun agreed that the Cabinet should take into consideration Shura Council decision regarding that issue and to take a final decision before the end of the year.
Sources close to Hezbollah told
Al-Akhbar that the head of the National Struggle Front Walid Jumblatt’s relation with the Party are close to a rupture, adding they both need each other in the meantime as Jumblatt is part of the ruling bloc in the parliament.
“Our relationship with Jumblatt is for political reasons only as we don’t share any agreement”, the sources quoted Hezbollah officials as saying.
Al-Akhbar mentioned that amid all these tensions between the Shiite and the Druze Party, one can conclude that this relation is at its worst since the 7th of May 2008.
Hezbollah allies said that Jumblatt is taking public stances against the ruling regime in Syria, adding that is currently waiting for a clearer message from the Syrian scene to take a final decision.
On the other hand, sources from the Progressive Social Party told
Al-Akhbar daily that the PSP relationship with Hezbollah has been reduced to the lower level without a rupture in order to preserve civil peace and evade any political tension.
The Syrian newspaper
Al-Watan issued today a copy of the Arab Protocol and the agreement between the Syrian regime and the Arab League to deploy observers on the Syrian ground in order to protect Syrian civilians and peaceful protestors.
The Arab Protocol called on the Syrian authorities to grant the observers the total freedom to contact different nongovernmental organizations, government official or whoever was directly or indirectly affected by the ongoing crisis in the country.
The observers will have the right to issue legal papers and permits to media reporters and broadcasting agencies to insure their safety and freedom of movement on Syrian grounds.
The observers will issue a weekly report that will be sent to the head of the Arab League Nabil el Araby and the Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem to discuss the progress of their work.
According to the
As-Safir newspaper, the head of the Syrian National Council Burhan Ghalyoun described Syria’s signature on the Arab Protocol as being a total farce and an incomplete step, adding that the protocol ignored that the Syrian people does not want Bashar Assad in power anymore.
“I will not give my final stance before they [observers] start operating on the ground, this is not enough we want Arab Forces to come to Syria and protect us”, As-Safir quoted Ghalyoun as saying.
“The Arab should not let the Syrian regime pursue its killings; Assad is playing with our minds and buying time to prolong his reign”.