Press Digest for Tuesday April 29, 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.

• Deputies place final touches on pay scale amendments - Sources

Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Tuesday that the parliamentary committee studying the series of ranks and salaries held a meeting on Monday evening in the absence of deputies Ibrahim Kanaan and Henry Helou.

The newspaper noted that the meeting was attended by MPs Georges Adwan, Alain Aoun, Samer Saadeh, Ghazi Youssef, Jamal Jarrah, and the governor of Banque du Liban Riad Salameh.

In this regard, a source reported to the newspaper that the meeting was held in the presence of the governor of BDL Riad Salameh seemingly since deputies were putting the final touches to the amendments made on the pay scale draft law.

• Change and Reform bloc will boycott Wednesday’s Parliamentary session - Sources

Prominent March 8 sources reported to Al-Joumhouria newspaper that the Change and Reform bloc will not attend Wednesday’s parliamentary session to elect a new president, adding that Hezbollah MPs will adhere to MP Michel Aoun’s decision.

The sources told the newspaper that the session will not be held due to lack of quorum, stressing that House Speaker Nabih Berri will schedule another session for the upcoming week.

• Gemayel is March 14’s 'silent' candidate - Deputy

Al-Akhbar newspaper quoted a Kataeb Party MP as saying that “Head of the Kataeb Party Amine Gemayel is the ‘silent candidate’ of the March 14 forces,” since he is capable of getting votes from centralist deputies and from March 8 MPs.

The deputy added to the newspaper that Gemayel will become as Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, a confrontational candidate, if he announces his candidacy at this stage, stressing that the March 14 forces are waiting for the appropriate moment to declare Gemayel’s candidacy and express their support for him.

• MP Salhab says meeting was not held between Bassil and Hariri in Jeddah

Change and Reform Bloc MP Salim Salhab stated on Tuesday that MP Michel Aoun will either be a consensual candidate or will not announce his candidacy at all for the presidential elections.

MP Salhab told Al-Liwaa newspaper that developments pertaining to Wednesday’s parliamentary session which aims at electing a new president were not reached yet.

Salhab also denied that a meeting was held between Minister Gebran Bassil and former Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Jeddah, pointing out that this matter, along with other issues pertaining to the parliamentary session, will be clarified during the Change and Reform Bloc’s weekly meeting.