Press Digest for Friday April 25, 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.    

• Speaker Berri:  A new president will be elected during Wednesday's parliamentary session

Speaker Nabih Berri told As-Safir newspaper on Friday that he will continue to call for holding parliamentary sessions to elect a new president.

Berri stressed that the next session will witness the election of a new president for the country.

He concluded by slamming media reports stating that he held talks with ambassadors over the presidential elections.

• US administration does not back any particular candidate for the presidency-sources

Sources told As-Safir newspaper on Friday that the US administration reiterated the importance of holding the presidential elections on their due time and sparing the country presidential vacuum.

The same sources added that the US administration does not support any particular candidate for the presidency, urging the Lebanese leaders to prove to the world that they are capable of electing a new president.

According to the daily, US Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Lawrence Silverman will pay a visit to France to tackle the presidential elections and the weapons grant for the Lebanese army.

• Saudi Ambassador Asiri: Lebanese leaders are the sole ones entitled to chose a new president

Saudi Ambassador Ali Awad Asiri told As-Safir newspaper on Friday that Saudi Arabia did not back the candidacy of any Lebanese leader for the presidency.

He added that the Lebanese people and leaders are the sole actors entitled to chose a new president who will be able to lead Lebanon amid the regional and international crises.

According to the daily, Asiri denied media reports stating that the Future movement is waiting for Saudi Arabia to name a particular candidate for the presidency to elect him as Lebanon's new president during Wednesday's parliamentary session.

 

• Democratic Gathering still adamant on supporting MP Helou's candidacy for the presidency-sources

Sources told As-Safir newspaper on Friday that MP Walid Jumblatt will hold a meeting for the Democratic Gathering bloc to assess the first round of the presidential elections.

The same sources added that the bloc is still adamant on supporting the candidacy of MP Henri Helou for the presidency.

For his part, MP Helou told the daily that he is still a candidate for the second round of the presidential elections, adding that he will deploy efforts to spare the country presidential vacuum.