Press Digest for Sunday April 06, 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.

• Al-Hout: The main obstacle suspending security plans is political decision

MP Imad al-Hout said that the success of the security plan in Tripoli and its implementation in the Bekaa indicate that the Lebanese army and the security forces are capable of imposing security and stability, once the political cover is lifted off the outlaws.

In a statement to Al Seyassah Kuwaitia, al-Hout stressed that the government must also implement a security plan in Beirut, urging the political forces to remove the political cover that protects the gunmen.

“The only obstacle that hinders any security plan lies in the political decision,” he explained.

Regarding the presidential elections, al-Hout hoped that the elections will be held in accordance with constitutional deadlines, warning against witnessing a months-long period of political void, “awaiting a regional-international green light to reach agreement over a president.”  

• Discussions underway between March 14 forces to agree over a presidential candidate

An-Nahar Daily reported that March 14 forces held a series of meetings and discussions over the week end in order to reach agreement over a presidential candidate.

The daily added that all the political forces are waiting for the Speaker Nabih Berri to set up a date for the first legislative session within the constitutional deadline, marking the beginning of the countdown to submit candidacies.    

• Security plan to move to northern Bekaa after Tripoli - Sources

Well-informed sources told an-Nahar Daily that preliminary measures have been implemented to expand the security plan applied in Tripoli, to the northern Bekaa, amid remarkable developments represented by the removal of Hezbollah’s checkpoints between the regions of Baalbek, Hermel and Arsal.

The sources added that the security plan is expected to witness the same success observed in Tripoli, noting that the cooperation of the Lebanese citizens with the security forces helped in reaching the needed outcome.