Press Digest for Sunday March 4, 2012

6^min

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.

Aridi: We will not attend Monday’s session if calls do not bear fruits

Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi told An-Nahar daily that the National Struggle Front is wagering on the calls being made regarding Monday’s parliamentary session, adding that in case the calls do not bear positive fruits they will not head to parliament on Monday. Aridi stressed that their position does not mean that they are joining March 14 MPs “since they might attend the session or take part in the discussions before deciding to boycott”.

Aridi added that he contacted Wafiq Safa, head of Hezbollah’s liaison and coordination committee, to convey the front’s stance. Aridi also praised Speaker Nabih Berri “who is exerting tremendous efforts, offering positive ideas and making steps forward”. Aridi urged March 14 forces to answer Berri’s call.

Aridi said that he contacted State Minister Alaaeddine Terro, Social Affairs Minister Wael Bou Faour, Speaker Nabih Berri and PM Najib Mikati “because they are our partners in power”.

Aridi stressed that he told the statesmen that the front has nothing to do with the divisions between March 8 and 14 forces and that this cabinet’s expenditures, as those of former governments, violate the law but are necessary to manage the state’s affairs.

Aoun is losing cadres to Lebanese Forces, Kataeb and Marada

Sources close to the opposition told Al-Anbaa Kuwaiti daily that the Head of the Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun is in a state of anxiety and confusion due to two factors: the failure of his regional bets and the turmoil within the Free Patriotic Movement. This turmoil, which was created by the resignation or the dismissal of former minister Charbel Nahhas, caused division within the FPM and despair for some of the movement’s cadres. Those cadres considered that Aoun abandoned Nahhas and could not replace him with an FPM minister.

According to the sources, the replacement of Nahhas with Salim Jreissati, who is affiliated to Syria and Hezbollah, is enough proof that Hezbollah is controlling the fate and the course of the cabinet. This also proves that Aoun cannot decide alone whether to sack a minister or not sine he is in so deep with Hezbollah due to his political and financial choices.

The sources added that during the past few years, the “General” has depended on an alliance with the Syrian and the Iranian regimes and Hezbollah, adding that he came up with a number of excuses to justify this alliance. The sources were quoted as saying that Aoun never hid the fact that he was willing to sell his position within the Christian community to buy a seat in power. According to the sources, Aoun lost a number of Christian supporters because he was not living up to his reform and change promises.

The sources stressed that a number of FPM cadres left the movement and joined the Lebanese Forces or the Kataeb party and the ex-Aounist of the north all joined the Marada movement. The same sources added that Deputy PM Issam Abou Jamra is leaning towards the possibility of launching a new reform movement from the FPM.

Barbed wire will separate the Baathists from the Salafists in downtown Beirut

Today, Sunday March 4, downtown Beirut will be divided into two halves. The first will be occupied by Sheikh Ahmad Al Assir and others who will show their support to the Syrian people, while the second will be invaded by the Baath Party and other allied parties to voice support with the Syrian regime.

In this context, An-Nahar daily quoted security and political sources as saying that information gathered by security apparatuses do not raise alarm which implies that the two counter-demonstrations will not get out of control and can be contained no matter the number of protesters.

During Saturday’s meeting chaired by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, Security forces prepared a plan to separate the two demonstrations starting from Sidon all the way to downtown Beirut. The plan makes sure that Al Assir and the Salafists coming from Sidon will not enter the southern suburbs. According to the plan, the Salafists will occupy the spot between the An-Nahar newspaper building and Le Gray hotel while the Baath party supporters and their allies will stage their demonstration in Debbas-Al Azariyeh square. Security forces will separate the two demonstrations with barbed wire and are planning to establish a dividing line in the middle of martyr's square.