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.
As-Safir Daily reported that Prime Minister Tammam Salam contacted on Tuesday officials from Amal Movement and Hezbollah, within the framework of his preparations for the upcoming cabinet session scheduled to be held on Thursday.
In this regard, the session’s agenda was distributed on the ministers, and included an essential item regarding the discussion of a working mechanism amid the current state of presidential vacuum.
French Foreign Ministry spokesman, Romain Nadal denied reports stating that Paris has suggested to Iranian officials amending the Lebanese constitution.
The accusation was made by Hezbollah’s Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during a speech he delivered last week.
In this regard, Nadal told
an-Nahar daily that France is committed to support Lebanese consensus, which is backed by the International Community, noting that his country has always been stressing the need to support the Lebanese institutions and to maintain balance in accordance with the Taef Agreement.
Member of the Kataeb parliamentary bloc, MP Elie Marouni stressed that his party is keen on accomplishing all constitutional processes within their deadlines, rejecting any attempt to distract the people with matters less important, in a bid to waste time.
In this regard, Marouni said that the most important process is the presidential elections, which failed to be completed according to its constitutional schedule, “due to the insistence of some parties on boycotting the parliamentary sessions.”
In a statement to
al-Joumhouria newspaper, the MP recalled that the stance of the Kataeb party supporting the extension of the Parliament's mandate aimed at granting the deputies time to reach an electoral law that ensures fair representation for the Christians.
In the same context, Marouni said that the head of the Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun was promoting the Orthodox draft law, “but then shifted his position, in a bid to reach a law that guarantees his election as president,” he said.
Well-informed political sources told al-Joumhouria daily that there are reports suggesting that the obstruction of the presidential elections will continue and will reach the parliament, which will be subject to a second extension of its term, under the pretext of avoiding “a comprehensive institutional vacuum.”
In this regard, the sources added that the short period of time remaining from the extended term of the parliament, and that ends on the 20th of November, will not be enough to pass a new electoral law.
Accordingly, the same sources pointed out that the required settlement to solve these accumulated crises is not available, adding that the current local and regional conditions are preventing any attempt to reach a solution.
On another note, the sources noted that the priorities of the head of Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun have changed after the 25th of May, explaining that he expressed his willingness to hold the parliamentary elections according to the 60s electoral law, while he had repeatedly declared that such a law does not grant the Christians their rightful representation, but serves the interests of the Future bloc and the Progressive Socialist Party.
In this context, the sources stressed that Aoun is seeking to change the balance of powers through the parliamentary elections, in a bid to pave the way for his election as president.