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.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati
announced his attachment to the draft election law referred by the government
to the Parliament, stressing that this might be the most appropriate formula
for Lebanon. “This draft meets the goal of both the majority system's partisans
and proportionality partisans.”
According to this draft law, 64 MPs
are elected according to the majority system in 20 or 30 electoral districts
while 64 others are elected based on proportional representation in the different
provinces. “This would relieve both Christians and Muslims and achieve the
required balance and just representation for all sects,” the PM said.
Mikati told
As-Safir Daily on Wednesday
that the pre-condition for the success of any electoral law is that it be
agreed upon by all sects and that it be based on the fact that each party has a representation capacity up to 10%. Mikati called for the transfer of the electoral
debate to Parliament, “instead of keeping it on the streets.”
Mikati stressed that the government
is ready to keep up with the upcoming elections both on the security and
logistic levels in order to guarantee their success. “I do not mind at all that
another government fulfills this task, but provided that it is agreed upon by
all political parties,” he said.
An-Nahar Daily reported on Wednesday that the March 14’s
General Secretariat Coordinator Fares Souaid informed concerned parties in the
alliance of the decision to suspend the Secretariat’s meetings. He also told
them that, unlike in the past, the Secretariat will not mediate in the electoral
law issue which occurred hours before its scheduled “new start” with the
decision of Kataeb and other parties to return to the Secretariat’s meetings
and activities.
Lebanese
Speaker Nabih Berri stressed that the drafting of a new electoral law
has begun, after receiving the report of the parliamentary sub-committee
yesterday afternoon from MP Robert Ghanem, noting that the law will be drafted "step by step."
Berri told
al-Joumhouria Daily
that the report shows that the political parties represented in the
committee are ready to reach consensus on a new electoral law.
In
this context, Berri said that he told Ghanem that the sub-committee
should carry on with its meetings, pointing out that he will follow up on
the work by holding contacts and meetings with the different
political parties, mainly the Future Movement.
"The deadlock no
longer exists; instead positive and encouraging intentions appeared and
will lead to a consensual electoral law," he
added.
Al-Akhbar Daily revealed
that the Lebanese Army Intelligence Directorate arrested a third year
student officer who was expected
to graduate in August 2013 from the Lebanese Military Academy.
In this context, legal sources told
the newspaper that the reason behind the arrest was information made
available to the intelligence directorate stating that there is a
relation between the detainee and a terrorist organization which has the Ain
al-Helweh camp as one of its bases.
The sources noted that the
arrested officer was enrolled in the organization with the help of a
person who encouraged him to take the path of "Jihad".
However,
the same sources described the arrest as preemptive, pointing out
that the relation between the detainee and the terrorist organization
was still at its preliminary stages; "the organization has not asked him to carry out any act
of aggression."
A security
source stressed that the request to summon Miled Kfoury, the witness in the case of
former Minister Michel Samaha, to appear before the
judiciary on the fourth of February is illegal, "because any
prejudice against this witness, who we consider a national hero, is a
national treason according to the majority of Lebanese laws, and the
laws of other 'decent' countries."
The source told
An-Nahar Daily that no one has the right to harm Miled Kfoury, no matter
the position or title he holds, noting that "Kfoury is outside the
country, but security forces can organize a conference call between
him and any judicial party if needed, provided that his protection is ensured, since he became the first on the list of those threatened
with murder after the assassination of Brig. Gen. Wissam Hassan."