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.
As-Safir daily reported that Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah met late Thursday night with the Head of the National Struggle Front MP Walid Jumblatt to discuss the latest developments.
The newspaper added that while former PM Omar Karami, who recently met with Syrian President Bashar Assad, clearly said that funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) will not be approved by either the cabinet or the Parliament, Hezbollah has kept silent about this issue so far.
However, the daily reported that Jumblatt was informed last night of Hezbollah’s refusal to fund the UN-backed tribunal.
The Head of the General Labor Confederation (GLC) Ghassan Ghosn told
An-Nahar daily that during Thursday’s meeting PM Najib Mikati promised the GLC delegation that the wage raise decree will be amended. Ghosn added that the 300,000 LBP raise will also apply to those earning more than 1.8 million LBP.
The local newspaper quoted Ghosn as saying: “Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas is preparing the wage raise decree in accordance with the agreement issued by the cabinet”.
On the other hand, sources close to PM Mikati denied these statements, saying that the cabinet’s original decision shall take effect.
The same sources voiced surprise when hearing about the possibility of adjusting the cabinet’s agreement. The daily cited the sources as saying that when PM Mikati was asked to adjust the decree, he only promised to discuss the issue with the ministerial committee for social affairs.
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai denied having exchanged any messages with U.S. President Barack Obama during his meeting with the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Ray Lahood, who is of Lebanese origins. Rai told
As-Safir daily that he did not ask to meet with President Obama, rather, the diaspora did, adding that he has no clue whether they have received an invitation yet.
The newspaper quoted Rai as saying: “I would welcome any meeting with the U.S. authorities, or any other for that matter, and I would seize that opportunity to say what is on my mind. But if that opportunity never presents itself, so be it.” Rai stressed that he cannot mix his role as a spiritual leader and the affairs of a state.
Rai denied all rumors saying that President Obama sent him an official invitation to conduct a later visit to the U.S., adding that his meetings with U.S. officials and congressman were strictly personal.
The patriarch highlighted that he is neither a politician nor a statesman, adding that by virtue of the canon law, he is obligated to conduct parish visits all over the world, including Syria.
In regard to those spreading rumors that the Maronite Church is headed by two patriarchs, Rai said: “From day one, I announced to the world that Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir will always be the head of the Maronite Church.” Rai stressed that there is no distinction between him and Sfeir since the latter was his mentor therefore he knows very well “what he is all about”.
“Rest assured that no one can hold anything against Patriarch Sfeir since he is above all pettiness. If anyone is fishing for trouble, Patriarch Sfeir is a quick trout and will escape their trap effortlessly; he was not born yesterday,” Rai said.
Well-informed sources told
As-Safir daily that PM Najib Mikati will not go back on his decision to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).
The same sources added that even if it boils down to choosing between funding the STL or presiding over the current cabinet, Mikati will resign if it is the price to pay.
“In fact, PM Mikati will consider a vote against funding the STL as a no-confidence motion, meaning his presidency of the cabinet will no longer make sense”, the sources said.
The newspaper quoted the sources as saying that PM Mikati is still hoping that the decision to fund the STL will be approved by the cabinet. The sources did not rule out the possibility that Mikati will soon hold consultations with Hezbollah’s leadership and Speaker Nabih Berri.
Speaker Berri had previously advised the premier not to rush into settling the issue of the budget, to give room for more negotiations that will culminate in an agreement, even if it means that the budget will have to be pushed till the end of 2011.
Al-Mustaqbal daily quoted wikileaks
cable number 519 issued by the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon on April 16, 2008 as saying that the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) is suffering from internal divisions and fading popularity.
The cable added that during preparations for the elections of the members of the FPM central committees, the FPM members accused Energy Minister Jibran Bassil of corruption and complained about the growing influence of Aoun’s “son-in-law”. They also opposed the extra efforts exerted by MP Michel Aoun to make sure that Bassil will be elected deputy head of the FPM.
The newspaper cited the cable as saying that Aoun finally succumbed under pressure and established a disciplinary committee to investigate the allegations of corruption against Bassil. The cable stressed that MP Alain Aoun pointed out that “the Aounist” were worried about attempts to turn the FPM into a “family business”.
The cable added that the FPM was in charge of implementing projects worth millions of dollars in the Southern suburbs (following the 2006 war). However these large sums of money were directly cashed by Jibran Bassil and one other person close to Hezbollah.
According to the cable, all donations meant to benefit the FPM end up in the bank accounts of Bassil, Aoun himself, members of his family or the TV station run by his other son-in-law Roy el-Hachem.