Press Digest for Saturday November 24, 2012

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. 

• Charbel: We will keep on deploying efforts to amend the electoral law              

Interior and Municipalities Minister Marwan Charbel declared that he will keep on deploying efforts to amend the electoral law, but he did not rule out the option that the Parliament’s mandate may be extended for six additional months during which a new electoral law will be approved or the articles of the 60s law will be amended.         

In this context, Speaker Nabih Berri told An-Nahar daily’s delegation in Rome that there is a series of draft laws, including one stating that the Christians would elect their 64 deputies and the Muslims would elect their 64 deputies, in order to avoid “statements on unfair representation.” He noted that there is another draft law, where every Lebanese citizen elects ten deputies from all the Lebanese districts.                

• Islamic Group and Hezbollah: discussions on how to end crisis              

A meeting was held on Friday between a delegation from the Islamic group headed by the political bureau chief Azzam al-Ayyoubi and the head of the “Loyalty to the Resistance” bloc MP Mohammad Raad, where they discussed means to end the current crisis.           

An informed source close to the Future Movement told Al-Liwaa Newspaper, that the Islamic Group informed the Movement of the meeting before holding it, while MP Imad al-Hout, who participated in the meeting, refused to describe the meeting as an initiative, stressing that it only aimed at listening to different point of views in an attempt to end the crisis.                  

“In case we see any positivity, we will hold another meeting next week,” he said.             

• Mufti Qabbani: all the possibilities are open                     

An-Nahar Daily reported that the Mufti of the Republic Sheikh Mohammad Qabbani will declare in the upcoming days the results of his discussions and positions on the elections of the Islamic Supreme Council which mandate ends on 31-12-2012.                

Mufti told the Daily that he does not have any position regarding this matter yet, stressing that all the possibilities are open.                     

• Difference between March 14 and FPM candidates in Achrafieh decreases              

Al-Akhbar Daily reported that polls conducted more than one week ago in Achrafieh electoral district, showed a decline in the difference between the candidates of March 14 and the Free Patriotic Movement.                  

However, a poll conducted around two months ago on Achrafieh Christian voters showed a large difference between the two parties, with March 14 coalition in the lead.