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.
Social Affairs Minister Wael
Abou Faour stressed that there has not been any agreement in the cabinet
session as to the form of constituencies for the 2013 parliamentary elections,
noting that the ministers will vote today on the draft law as a whole. He pointed
that the ministers of the National Struggle Front will reject the electoral
law.
Answering a question about
why would they waste time discussing a law they already decided to reject, Abou
Faour told
Al-Joumhouria Daily that the bloc supports the President’s
reform efforts, adding that the cabinet must fulfill its obligations.
“Future
Movement” Bloc MP Jean Ogasapian regretted the way the dialogue
is being approached, noting that every political party and every representative
of a political power has "his own opinion and agenda".
In a statement to
As-Safir Daily, Ogasapian called for consensus over a “rescue cabinet”,
where all parties will be represented, “we need team work to save the country because
things are going toward complete collapse, leading to chaos on all levels”, he
added.
Ogasapian noted that this
stage is not for solutions but for transitions, awaiting Syria's developments. He stressed that "it is impossible to reach an agreement over Hezbollah's weapons
since the dimensions of the issue have a regional span".
- Change in US and British opinions concerning cabinet
Top March 14 sources reported that the last meetings between
the US ambassador Mora Connelly with politicians from the opposition showed little shift in the US position regarding the government, as well as for the
British ambassador Tom Fletcher.
The sources told
Al-Akhbar Daily that Connelly informed an
opposition politician that the investigations in the Bulgaria attack that
targeted Israeli nationals make way for suspicion in the involvement of Hezbollah in
the attack.
The opposition sources quoted Connelly as saying: “there is
no point in the persistence of the cabinet since it includes parties performing
terrorist acts”. It was also reported that the British ambassador’s statement is
similar to Connelly’s but with a less decisive tone.
However, other sources confirm that Connelly’s statement was
not decisive, adding that what she said was: “in case the involvement of
Hezbollah in the Bulgaria attack was confirmed, there will be no point in the
persistence of the cabinet”.
Sources close to the dialogue committee revealed that the
opposition will be holding a meeting in the coming days to discuss the dialogue
and take a united position from the session expected to be held on August 16.
The sources told
Al-Liwaa newspaper that the opposition is
not so excited about participating in the next dialogue session, “because it is
a waste of time”, as they said.
It was reported that during the meeting, the opposition will
ask Hezbollah for a clear stance over the arms issue and will request that this
issue be the only item to discuss during dialogue.