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.
Sources close to the Popular Nasserist Organization (PNO) told
al-Mustaqbal Daily that the meeting held
between the PNO’s leader Oussama Saad and a delegation from Hezbollah on Friday evening, was not as expected
by the PNO Secretary General, since Hezbollah’s representation in the
delegation was limited to an official from Sidon region, another from the
Municipal department and the coordinator of the parties’ file.
On the other hand, rumors emerged
stating that Saad requested an urgent meeting with Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed
Hassan Nasrallah, but it is still unknown whether or not the appointment has
been confirmed.
However, well-informed sources revealed
to the same daily that the latest events widened the gap between the PNO and
Sheikh Ahmad Assir, noting that the latter has been holding meetings with top
officials from the organization and discussing the situation in Sidon. In this
context, an initial agreement was reached to leave the contacts open between
the PNO and Assir, while Hezbollah closely watches, expressing a deep concern
in this regard.
MP Robert Ghanem revealed that the parliamentary sub-committee which will
hold its first meeting at the hall of the Parliament's Administration
and Justice Committee, will include
ten deputies, four of them representing March 14 coalition: Ahmad Fatfat, Serge
Torsarkissian, George Adwan and
Sami Gemayel; four representing March 8 coalition: Alain Aoun, Ali Bazzi, Ali
Fayyad and Hagop Pakradounian;
as well as a deputy from the National Struggle Front Akram Chehayeb.
While MP Ghanem noted that the location
of the upcoming meetings is to be decided during the first meeting, he
expected, in a statement to
An-Nahar Daily, that the meetings will take place
between the Parliament and the hotel where the deputies will be staying.
n this context, the newspaper reported
that the MPs George Adwan and Sami Gemayel decided to pay the costs of their
stay at the hotel near the Parliament, refusing to load the Lebanese government
with further burdens.
The Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour stressed the need to keep on
dealing with the issue of the Syrian refugees as a humanitarian issue, not a political
one, revealing that the possibility of forming a coordination committee with
the Syrian regime raised Lebanese concerns.
Abou Faour told
An-Nahar daily that promising possibilities of helping the
Syrian refugees started to appear, with the commitment of Germany to pay 20 million
USD, while the European Union is set to make an important contribution in this
regard, a big part of which is dedicated to Lebanon. He added that Canada and
Kuwait will also offer help, as Kuwait will be hosting a conference for the
donors at the end of the month.
In this context, the Minister noted that the United States will be closing a
deal with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, in order
to participate in offering help.
- Murr: Sleiman is the commander of the ship, his stances aim at rescuing
Lebanon
The former deputy Prime Minister MP Michel Murr revealed that he was ready
to attend the dialogue session expected to take place on Monday, but noted that
the decision regarding these sessions should be taken by President Michel
Sleiman, pointing that he does not support those who will boycott the national
talks “only because the cabinet did not resign.”
In a statement to
An-Nahar daily, Murr described the “President as the
commander of the ship”, stating that his latest stances clearly indicate that
he aims at rescuing Lebanon from the current crisis. Murr reiterated his
support for the President’s decisions which emerge from inalienable national convictions,
stressing that there are no alternatives to the national dialogue.
On the other hand, Murr stressed the need to change the cabinet “which
became the obstacle preventing the dialogue from taking place,” calling for
forming a new cabinet with neutral PM and ministers who must not run for the upcoming
parliamentary elections.