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.
Presidential sources reported to
As Safir Daily that President Michel Sleiman did not receive any positive feedback regarding the participation of boycotting parties in the National Dialogue session scheduled on Monday.
According to the sources, Sleiman will postpone the sessions until further notice and will be announcing the news in a statement on Saturday or Sunday.
The sources added that Sleiman will ask the conflicted political parties to find alternatives if they continue to reject the dialogue option.
Al Akhbar Newspaper published on Saturday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is expected to deliver a speech soon, in which he will suggest a solution for the Syrian crisis based on the decisions of Geneva Meeting II that was held between international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and Moscow and Washington’s representatives.
In this context, informed sources told the Daily that the Russians contacted President Assad during Brahimi’s visit to Syria and asked him to inform them about the position he has transmitted to Brahimi before the visit of the latter to Russia. Accordingly, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mokdad visited Russia while Brahimi was still holding talks in Syria. According to the sources, Mokdad met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, whereby he informed him that Assad will agree on the Geneva II settlement if his candidacy for the 2014 presidential elections along with other candidates was rejected.
The sources added that Assad will support during his speech both Lebanese and Palestinian resistance and will tackle the issue of liberating the occupied Syrian territories, including the Golan and the Iskenderun regions.
Al Joumhouria Daily published on Saturday that the latest meetings between the Free Patriotic Movement, Hezbollah and Amal Party might pave the way to a quartet meeting between Speaker Nabih Berri, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, FPM leader Michel Aoun and Marada chief Sleiman Franhieh.
The four are expected to discuss the electoral alliances and the issue of the Syrian crisis.
An-Nahar daily published on Saturday that Speaker Nabih Berri expressed his resentment of comments stated by Sheikhs who criticized President Michel Sleiman for celebrating Christmas at the presidential palace in Baaba.
Sources who visisted Berri reported that if the latter knew that there will be people objecting the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, “he would’ve celebrated the occasion in his home because it’s a blessed and dear holiday to all humanity.”
The newspaper quoted Berri as saying: “It is a shame that we started hearing such comments in Lebanon. Let everyone remember that the message Jesus Christ carried is not just for the Christians but for the Muslims as well.”
In an
interview with
Al Liwaa Daily, MP Marwan Hamadeh said that March 14
deputies are participating in the meetings of the parliamentary
sub-committee with good intentions to ratify a new electoral law that
does not allow “the dominance of Hezbollah”.
Hamadeh added
that “neither proportionality electoral law proposal nor the one
proposed by the Orthodox Gathering are adequate.”