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.
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt told
As-Safir newspaper that he welcomes the call of Hezbollah Secretary General
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah for dialogue without preconditions. Jumblatt wished if
Nasrallah had addressed Syrian President Bashar Assad directly, to assure him that
the most important thing is Syria and that it must adopt a new regime and a new
approach “especially when it became impossible for reforms to be conducted
after all the bloodshed, and when the new constitution is nothing but a delusion and a fantasy”.
Jumblatt said that Nasrallah’s position with the
Syrian people is way more important than his position by the regime and the
imaginary reform process. He added that for the sake of Syria and the resistance, it
would be better to accept the international consensus and the U.N.
recommendation stipulating that President Assad must step down.
Jumblatt expressed his reservations regarding the
content of some speeches made at the BIEL festival, hoping that some BIEL
speakers could stop bargaining. “They must not forget the principles, namely
the defense plan to protect Lebanon, the importance of weapons to be used in
the face of Israel and not internally and the ongoing Israeli violations of the
Lebanese sovereignty.”
House Speaker Nabih Berri told
As-Safir newspaper that
Labor Minister Charbel Nahas must sign the transportation allowance decree independently
from what may happen at the Parliament or the suggestion of any project or
draft law. “Not signing would pave the way for other ministers to repeat the same
scenario anytime and in any government, thus undermining the concept of the
cabinet institution.”
On the other
hand, Berri described his meeting with Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel
Aoun as “positive”, adding that the latter did not suggest a specific initiative to address
the governmental crisis.
Berri said
that while he is not playing a mediating role, he is on excellent terms with
Aoun. “We do not meet too often since we are bound by specific measures and
cannot move a lot for security reasons.”
Labor Minister Charbel Nahas told
al-Joumhouriya newspaper that
the governmental crisis is related to the STL protocol renewal, adding that
internal regulations must be established to determine the working mechanism
within the executive power.
“Lebanon is governed by a regime that links the executive
power to a collective body”, he said.
Nahas stressed that he is adamant not to sign the “illegal” transportation
allowance decree, astonished to see the GLC’s leadership stand against the workers’
real interest.
Nahas said that he is working to draft a new law to put this issue
back on track, not only the transportation allowance, but the whole wage
issue.
PM Najib Mikati told
As-Safir newspaper that disagreements in
politics are legitimate, and should not necessarily lead to hostilities. “We
will not allow strife to find a passage to Tripoli, and we will not let anyone drag
it [Tripoli] into the conflicts of others”.
Mikati called on all concerned parties to be aware, to stay
calm and to work hand in hand to protect their cities.
In this regard, the newspaper reported that during his
extended meeting with Bab al-Tebbaneh’s figures, mayors, dignitaries and
cadres, Mikati stressed the necessity to nip strife between brothers and the residents
of the same region and to let the LAF deal with security matters.
“Just like Lebanon is disassociating itself from what is
happening in the region to avoid becoming the scapegoat, we must work to disassociate
Tripoli to prevent it from becoming an arena of settling accounts”, Mikati said, adding
that Tripoli’s residents are one family regardless of their political,
sectarian and religious affiliations.
“Harming one member of this family affects everyone without
exception”, he said.
The minister said that the cabinet sessions will certainly be
resumed; “their freeze is neither legal nor constitutional; it is illogical”.