MP Neemtallah Abi Nasr praised the measures imposed by the Director General of General Security Major General Abbas Ibrahim, regarding the Syrian refugees’ entrance to the Lebanese territories, noting that these measures reassure the citizens and allow them to trust the state in protecting the borders.
In a statement to al-Joumhouria daily, Abi Nasr said that if these measures were implemented few years ago, Lebanon would have avoided several security troubles.
Baath party MP Assem Qanso stressed that the issue of the presidential elections is not included in the agenda of the dialogue between Hezbollah and the Future Movement, pointing out that the main purpose of the talks is to restore calmness through easing the Sunni-Shiite tension and fighting terrorism.
In a statement to al-Joumhouria daily, Qanso revealed that two disputed items have been removed from the agenda in order to avoid further arguments, the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons and its military intervention in the Syrian crisis.
In this regard, Qanso stated that the dialogue will be limited and its results will be restricted to calming the situation.
Member of the Future bloc MP Atef Majdalani called for electing a new president as soon as possible, doubting however that this process will take place during the parliamentary session scheduled of January 7th.
In a statement to al-Joumhouria daily Majdalani expressed optimism over a possible solution for this issue within the next three months.
On another note, the deputy stressed that any dialogue held between two rival parties will result in a positive outcome.
As-Safir newspaper reported that the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon sent Prime Minister Tammam Salam a brief report concerning the stages of work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the need to approve a second extension to its mandate.
According to the daily, Salam replied to Ban Ki Moon in a letter that included the cabinet’s approval to the extension, without discussing the matter with the ministers.