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-Joumhouria Daily reported that March 8 forces had informed Prime Minister-Designate Tammam Salam of their final decision, which relies on the need to reach an agreement with the head of the Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun and to find a new formula that guarantees “the formation of a 'healthy' cabinet.”
The newspaper added that Hezbollah told Salam that should Aoun’s ministers resign from the cabinet, the Shiite ministers will take the same step, pointing out that al-Marada Movement and the Armenian Tashnag Party linked their resignation to that of March 8 forces.
Well-informed sources told
as-Safir Newspaper that the head of the National Struggle Front MP Walid Jumblatt received a negative response from Hezbollah, regarding a proposal by which the security-related ministerial portfolios will be redistributed according to March 8 coalition’s satisfaction, while “tempting MP Michel Aoun with an additional portfolio.”
In this regard, Jumblatt was informed that Hezbollah will not give up on Aoun and the March 8 forces, noting that they will take a unified stance once a fait-accompli cabinet is formed.
The State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr told
al-Joumhouria Daily that the three persons arrested in the case of the Choueifat suicide attack, including the taxi driver who transported the suicide bomber to the place of the explosion, are not involved in the crime.
He added that they were referred to the Intelligence Directorate in order to reveal the mystery behind the Kalashnikov gun sold by the driver who had a dispute with the suicide bomber.
In this context, well-informed security sources reported that these men testified before the Internal Security Forces Information Bureau that failed to identify the attacker.
“The taxi driver prevented the suicide bomber from placing the bag containing the Kalashnikov inside the vehicle’s trunk, and then a dispute erupted between them, leading the driver to prevent the suicide bomber from entering the car,” the sources said.
The Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Beshara Boutros Rai said that the memorandum issued by Bkerke must be considered as a plan of action of the next president who will manage the country’s affairs over the next six years.
In a statement to
al-Joumhouria Newspaper, Rai said that the candidate who fits in the qualifications included in the memorandum and who is prepared to commit to it will be elected president, stressing that "Bkerke will support any candidate who defends all national principles."