Press Digest for Tuesday March 18, 2014

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.

• President Sleiamn to hold national dialogue sessions before end of the month

Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Tuesday that Lebanese President Michel Sleiman expressed to his visitors his relief regarding the steps that were taken following the consensus reached over the cabinet policy statement, considering that the country must follow a new path to overcome the conflicts it is facing.                 

Visitors of Sleiman quoted him as saying that he will be taking various measures for the country to cross the period which follows the end of his term in an atmosphere of stability and security.               

According to the newspaper, President Sleiman is preparing to hold national dialogue sessions before the end of this month.               

• Kataeb Ministers will not resign from cabinet

Al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Tuesday that the Kataeb party will no longer discuss the issue of its ministers’ resignation from the cabinet, pointing out that the said party has reached an agreement with Prime Minister Tammam Salam.  

In this regard, the newspaper stated that the agreement stipulates that the ministers do not resign on the condition that PM Salam explains at the introduction of the policy statement the role of the Lebanese state and that of the resistance.               

• Salam’s cabinet will garner 100 to 114 votes during confidence session - Sources

Sources reported to the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Anbaa that Telecommunications Minister Boutros Harb was tasked with addressing the dossier of the Kataeb party regarding the cabinet policy statement.       

In this regard, March 8 sources told the newspaper that Harb is working on the modification of the clause related to the resistance without changing its essence.                

The same sources reported that Prime Minister Tammam Salam’s cabinet will garner 100 or 114 parliamentary votes during the confidence sessions which will be held on Thursday.           

• Convening the Supreme Defense Council has become urgent - Sources

Ministerial sources reported to An-Nahar newspaper that the need has become urgent to convene the Supreme Defense Council in order to tackle the situation in Tripoli, Arsal, Al-Nabi Othman, and Brital.           

Regarding the situation in Tripoli, the sources stated that Lebanese officials may not wait for the end of the Syrian crisis to address the security situation at the northern Lebanese city, stressing that the deteriorating situation in Tripoli will have various impacts on the political and religious levels.         

The sources also stated that the clause of confronting terrorism stated in the cabinet policy statement is more important than that of the resistance and should be adhered to.