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.
Change and Reform Bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan stated on Tuesday that the sub-parliamentary committee had already finished studying the series of ranks and salaries, pointing out that House Speaker Nabih Berri referred the said dossier to the joint-parliamentary committees.
In this regard, Kanaan told
Al-Joumhouria newspaper that the joint-parliamentary committees will have to go through the dossier for the final time before referring it to the General Authority.
Lebanese President Michel Sleiman reassured on Tuesday that he is against prolonging his mandate, pointing out that the local and regional atmosphere is not appropriate for extending his term.
“Hezbollah will not agree on extending my mandate, especially after the positions that I have taken recently,” President Sleiman said.
Sleiman told
As-Safir newspaper that the upcoming presidential elections will be held on time, expressing his hope that the new president adopts the Baabda Declaration and works for maintaining Lebanon’s sovereignty.
“We can elect a new president on the basis of characteristics specified by the Lebanese people,” Sleiman said.
Sleiman said at the first 3 years of his mandate he was committed to being a consensual president, and added: “After the issue of false witnesses and Hezbollah’s intervention in the Syrian crisis, I started declaring my position to re-balance the situation in the country.”
On another note, Sleiman stressed that Saudi Arabia did not set any conditions pertaining to the grant it gave to the Lebanese Army, emphasizing that "Lebanon needs the resistance, but may give up on it as soon as the Lebanese army becomes capable of defending the country."
Future Bloc MP Jean Ogassapian said Lebanon is facing a dangerous security situation, pointing out that armed groups along with Hezbollah are not adhering to any authority.
MP Ogassapian told
Al-Joumhouria newspaper that Hezbollah’s intervention in the Syrian crisis led to the spillover of terrorism into Lebanon, adding that the region is heading towards more divisions.
Ogassapian called for discussing the future of Lebanon as well as a defense strategy to aid Lebanon.
He also mentioned that only Lebanese authorities should be granted the right to decide when to possess and use weapons, stressing that national dialogue should be a means for Lebanon’s salvation.
An-Nahar newspaper reported on Tuesday that the Higher Defense Council will convene on Wednesday, after President Michel Sleiman’s return from Kuwait where he is participating in the Arab Summit.
The newspaper stated that the council will discuss a new security plan for Tripoli in preparation for discussing it during the cabinet session scheduled for Thursday.