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: Civil marriage
needs a detailed law issued by Parliament
Interior and Municipalities
Minister Marwan Charbel warned against failing to reach a new electoral law,
pointing out that in such a case, the elections will have to be held according to
the law adopted during the previous elections. He added that any delay in
passing a new electoral law will result in the postponement of the elections
which are expected to take place on the ninth of June 2013.
In a statement to
Acharq
al-Awsat newspaper, Charbel explained that the electoral draft law based on the
proportional representation presented by the cabinet, has not yet been
discussed, while the deputies are required to define their position on it at
the Parliamentary sessions.
In this context, the
Interior Minister told
An-Nahar Daily that the draft law proposed during the mandate
of President Elias Hrawi which caused confusion, has been hidden in the cabinet's
drawers since, and was never presented to the Parliament for discussions.
On the other hand, Charbel stressed
that he supports the optional civil marriage to be applied in Lebanon just like
all the other countries that adopt it. He noted that the civil marriage
contract to become legitimate needs a law which states the rights and obligations,
organizes the relationship between the couple before, during and after marriage,
and includes details related to the rights of each partner, the divorce,
inheritance and many other items. He added that the Parliament should issue a
detailed law on civil marriage which includes all these conditions.
Ansar Allah Secretary General
Hajj Gamal Sleiman said that the decision to become financially and military separated
from Hezbollah was taken for internal reasons.
Hajj Sleiman denied, in a statement to
Al-Liwaa, that the movement had any relation with a Lebanese, Palestinian or
foreign party, stressing that these are only allegations spread by those who
are paid to "diffuse poisons and propaganda for the alleged organization's
new source of funding."
In this context, he confirmed that finance was never the problem; pointing out that relations with
any party is based on how strong this party relates to the struggle of the
Palestinian cause.
Sleiman called on all those who claim to have offered the organization money
secretly or publicly, to announce it to the public. "We are a Jihadist
Palestinian Islamic organization, we are loyal to God and in God we trust,"
he said.
- Shehaitli: Israel is indeed nibbling at our territories
The
Lebanese army representative, Maj. Gen. Abdelrahman Shehaitli told
An-Nahar Daily on Monday that the article published by the “Maareef”
newspaper regarding Israel’s “nibbling” of Lebanese territories along
the blue line facing the southern town of al-Adaisseh is true. “Lebanon
has known this for the past 2 years and has called for Israel’s full
withdrawal from the occupied territory.”
“This dispute is being
discussed bilaterally between the UN and Israel; we are waiting for an
answer to follow up on the withdrawal issue,” he said.
Shehaitli
denied having previous knowledge of the occupied territory which is being discussed
between international parties and Israel, stressing that Lebanon will
not compromise any part of its land.
Al-Akhbar
Daily reported Monday that House Speaker Nabih Berri will be meeting
with National Struggle Front leader MP Walid Jumblatt and a delegation
of Kataeb leaders to have an idea about their stance on the Parliament’s
general session and the Orthodox Gathering’s draft law and to listen to
their ideas regarding a possible solution for the current electoral law
dispute.
The Kataeb party considers that since the Orthodox Gathering’s
proposal won the largest number of supporters, “it must be put to vote in Parliament.”
Well-informed sources said that Berri told Future
bloc leader Fouad Siniora who visited him at the head of a Future
delegation last week, that the quorum reached for the Orthodox
Gathering’s draft law “buried the 1960s electoral law”, adding that
there was no way that it be brought back to life. “I continue to endorse
a consensus between the 4 Christian parties on the Orthodox gathering’s
draft law,” Berri said.