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.
Paris is expected to witness
remarkable activity in regards to the Lebanese situation next week as French
President Francois Hollande will receive MP Walid Jumblatt on Monday and Kataeb
leader and former Lebanese President Amine Gemayel on Wednesday.
In a related context, exclusive sources
told
An-Nahar Daily that former PM Saad Hariri will arrive in Paris in the next
few hours, adding that his visit will coincide with that of MP Jumblatt who has already arrived in the French
capital a few days ago.
Kataeb leader Amine Gemayel considered that the divergence of
views on the new electoral law
unveils a real crisis within the Lebanese system and the relation between its
components. Gemayel said that the real dispute is between the Future Movement
and Hezbollah and revolves around the adoption of either the majoritarian system
or the proportional representation formula for the new electoral law.
Gemayel told
Asharq al-Awsat Daily on Sunday that the real
problem at Parliament is deeper than the electoral law based on 50 districts,
the Orthodox Gathering’s law or any other law, adding “the good thing about the
Orthodox Gathering’s proposal is that it guarantees just representation and
real partnership at Parliament, thus achieving parity in numbers and in
practice.”
Gemayel voiced his fear that the “political chaos” moves to
the streets amid the spread of weapons if Lebanese parties do not reach a
consensus.
“The real danger on Lebanon is not only the failure to reach
a consensual electoral law, but the repercussions of the Syrian crisis and the large
numbers of displaced Syrians flocking to Lebanon,” he said.
Interior
Minister Marwan Charbel said Sunday that preparations for the upcoming parliamentary
elections have started based on the current electoral law "which can only be amended or
abolished at Parliament."
“The government has suggested a new law based on
proportional representation in order to build a modern state; however this decision
is up to Parliament.”
On
another note, Charbel told
Al Seyassah al Kuwaitiya Daily that the issue of
Lebanese pilgrims detained in Aazaz will be solved very soon, stressing that the Qatari
state is serious in its efforts to settle this case.
Eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped on their way back from Iran by
insurgents hoping to use them for a prisoner swap on the 20th of May.
Only two have so far been released.
On
the security situation in Tripoli, Charbel considered that the issue is more related
to politics than to security, calling on all parties to find political
solutions.
Exclusive sources told
An-Nahar Daily on Sunday that the
cabinet will be represented at the meeting of the joint parliamentary
committees on Wednesday, held upon the invitation of House Speaker Nabih Berri
to look into the electoral law.
According to the Daily, the opposition is supposed to develop
a stance on this development in the next few hours. “The cabinet justifies its
presence by the fact that one of the proposals on the table is the draft law it
submitted to Parliament; this makes its presence mandatory and evident.”
In a similar context, sources from the Future bloc voiced
their surprise at Berri’s call, considering that talks over the electoral law
have not matured yet and that the joint committees’ meeting will represent “a
scene for further political debates.”