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.
Sources reported on Saturday that US Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale, who visited various Lebanese officials, urged them to form a new cabinet to face the upcoming entitlements, stressing that the US government will welcome the formation of the cabinet.
Sources told
al-Joumhouria that Ambassador Hale urged Change and Reform Bloc leader MP Michel Aoun to respond to ongoing efforts in a bid to form a national unity cabinet that includes all Lebanese factions, highlighting the importance of overcoming what is hinder the cabinet formation process.
Sources added that US’ Hale called on all factions to make concessions in order to reach common grounds in the said dossier.
Deputy Boutros Harb said on Saturday Lebanon may not proceed without a new cabinet, pointing out that void damaged the interests of the Lebanese people and the work constitutional institutions.
MP Harb told the Kuwaiti newspaper
Al-Seyassah that Lebanese President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister-Designate Tammam Salam should initiate and form a cabinet if Lebanese factions went back to the first stage of the formation.
MP Harb questioned the seriousness of Hezbollah, stressing that hindering the cabinet formation came at the same time when Iran’s invitation to attend the Geneva 2 peace conference on Syria was retracted, highlighting that Hezbollah is pushing Aoun towards taking decisions that impede the cabinet formation process.
Head of the Future Parliamentary Bloc, former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora expressed on Saturday his rejection to any cabinet that does not adopt the rotation of portfolios concept.
“The rotation of portfolios is an important process in the Lebanese political life,” Siniora told
As-Safir newspaper, stressing that Prime Minister-Designate Tammam Salam got the approval of all parties on this issue.
Head of the National Struggle Front MP Walid Jumblatt told
As-Safir newspaper that he is still following up on the cabinet formation process, expressing his hope that officials reach an agreement at the soonest possible.
MP Jumblatt expressed his rejection to the prevailing atmosphere with regards to the formation of a new cabinet, pointing out that his meetings yesterday (Friday) with Hezbollah official Hajj Wafik Safa and caretaker Energy Minister Gebran Bassil were both positive.