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.
Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad lamented the failure to pass the pay scale draft law on Wednesday, noting that the dispute that erupted over the ranks of the military personnel and the objection raised by the private schools led Speaker Nabih Berri to make his decision to defer the passing of the draft law.
In a statement to
al-Joumhouria newspaper, Fayad stressed Berri’s keenness on passing the pay scale amid an agreement between the sectors and the concerned Lebanese factions, pointing out that the speaker has not been convinced with the increase to be applied on the Value Added Tax (VAT).
Interior and Municipalities Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq said that the meeting held over the case of the Syrian refugee camps in Arsal, with Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad and Ministers Rashid Derbass and Mohammad Fneish, was positive.
In this regard, al-Mashnouq told
al-Mustaqbal daily that Hezbollah has been understanding the gravity of the issue at hand in Arsal, and has been expressing openness over the need to find a solution for the refugee camps in the northeastern border town.
However, the minister said that this crisis requires several meetings and wider discussions.
Well-informed sources told
al-Liwaa daily that the head of the Progressive Socialist Party MP Walid Jumblatt is seeking to mediate between Hezbollah and the Future Movement in order to forge an agreement between the two parties, noting that a meeting was held between representatives of the two sides in order to fortify the political scene and fill all security gaps whether in the Bekaa region or the northern city of Tripoli.
Regarding the meeting held between Jumblatt and Hezbollah, sources from the meeting told the daily that the issue of the presidential elections was tackled thoroughly, whereby the two parties agreed that the extension of the Parliament’s mandate has become a necessity in order to avoid vacuum.
Also during the meeting, the sources added that security matters were also discussed, where the officials stressed the need to prevent the events that took place in Arsal from recurring elsewhere.
Bishop Boulos Sayyah stressed that there are no new developments in the case of the presidential elections, noting that the meetings held by Maronite Patriarch Beshara Boutros Rai with US officials were positive.
In a statement to
al-Joumhouria daily, Sayyah stressed that the situation of the Christians in the country will not improve, unless a new president was elected, noting however that the Lebanese Christians are not danger, but the Islamic State has been a threat to all the sects.
On another note, Sayyah said that Patriarch Rai postponed his trip previously set to kick off today, for logistical reasons.