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.
PM Najib Mikati expressed relief over the fact that the Parliament passed the draft laws related to the public spending and the EDL
contract workers. He noted that the most important achievement was keeping
the session away from all political conflicts.
Mikati told As-Safir daily
that all the political problems were for the first time distanced from the crucial
priorities. He stressed that the economic and living conditions are what
interest the majority of the people, regardless of their confession or affiliation.
“We took into consideration
the interest of the country without having a winner or loser. In this
context we agreed to reduce the spending ceiling in order to show how serious
we are in the process of preparing the State’s budget”, he added.
“
The consultations were
mediated by Speaker Nabih Berri, but we completed it personally with former PM Fouad
Siniora”, he continued.
Commenting on the EDL
contract workers issue, Mikati said that the issue has finally reached a happy ending,
noting that “the number of contract workers concerned in this law does not
matter, what matters is the examination”.
Security sources revealed that the incident that occurred
yesterday in Dahiyeh is targeting the security plan, when a group of people affiliated
to Hezbollah attacked a security forces patrol in Ruwais.
The sources told An-Nahar newspaper that the patrol was
setting up a check point within the framework of the security plan, when one
person driving a motorcycle and holding a noticeable weapon of war passed by. When
the security forces arrested the driver, Ali Choueib, more than 30 party members
rushed to the site, released the detained and engaged in a fight with the security
forces.
Commenting on this incident, al-Mustaqbal daily quoted official
sources as saying that Hezbollah wants that, during the security month, “young
offenders be arrested, not Hezbollah members”, stressing that the presence
of security forces should not be conditioned.
Future movement MP Jamal al-Jarrah doubted that the cabinet
would be able to approve a budget for the current year, saying that he is not
convinced that “the cabinet can discuss the budget which was excluded from the
agenda several times”.
Al-Jarrah told al-Liwaa daily that the ministerial majority
does not have the courage to reveal the real financial deficit that reached around
8 trillion LBP and which is affecting the public debt. He added that the
majority is willing neither to finance the STL nor to accept it as Lebanon’s
commitment to the international community.
However, al-Liwaa newspaper quoted ministerial
sources as saying that “the cabinet is committed to approve the budget which will be
discussed during the cabinet session”.
Imam of the
Bilal Bin Rabah Mosque in Sidon, Sheikh Ahmad
Assir said that the sit-in in Sidon will end in case
he sees that the “rulers” were honest in making serious steps on the dialogue
table, through handing over the extra-state weapons to the government.
In a statement to Acharq al-Awsat daily,
Assir denied any possibility to change the venue of the sit-in, noting that “there is no other place that can affect the Resistance
party and Amal movement on the road to the south”.