Press Digest for Saturday December 27, 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 hails results of first Hezbollah-Future dialogue session

House Speaker Nabih Berri praised on Saturday the results of the first dialogue session between the Future Movement and Hezbollah, stressing that representing delegations of both parties were serious.

Berri told Al-Mustaqbal newspaper that the second session will be held during the first week of the upcoming year, expressing his hope to reach concrete results following these sessions.

Regarding the agenda of these sessions, Speaker Berri noted that even without an agenda both parties have agreed on the topics that will be tackled.

• Hezbollah delegation tackled presidential elections with Patriarch Rai - Bishop

Bishop Samir Mazloum stated on Saturday that the Hezbollah delegation that visited Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Beshara Boutros Rai on Friday briefed him on the atmosphere of the dialogue with the Future Movement, informing the patriarch that the aim of this dialogue is to ease tension between Shiites and Sunnis in Lebanon.

Bishop Mazloum told Al-Joumhouria newspaper that the delegation also tackled with the patriarch the presidential entitlement, stressing that Patriarch Rai reiterated the call on deputies to head to parliament and elect a new president.

In this regard, Hezbollah deputies told Patriarch Rai that they will not head to Parliament unless Change and Reform Bloc leader MP Michel Aoun participates in the session.

• MP Aoun not ready to withdraw his candidacy - Sources

Sources reported to An-Nahar newspaper that the communications related to the expected meeting between Change and Reform Bloc leader MP Michel Aoun and Lebanese Forces Chief Samir Geagea are ongoing, pointing out that various issues will be tackled during the said meeting.

In this regard, the sources noted that the presidential elections may remain an obstacle seemingly since LF’s Geagea will propose the nomination of a third runner for the elections; however, MP Aoun is not willing to withdraw his candidacy.

• Second dialogue session between Hezbollah and Future Movement scheduled for January 5 - MP

Deputy Samir Jesr stated on Saturday that the second dialogue session between the Future Movement and Hezbollah will be held on the 5th of January.

In this regard, MP Jisr told Al-Joumhouria newspaper that the constants of the Future Movement regarding Hezbollah’s participation in the Syrian crisis have not changed.

He also noted that “any rational official will try to ease the tension between Shiites and Sunnis in Lebanon,” pointing out that this is the main reason behind these sessions along with the issue of the presidential elections.