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.
Interior and Municipalities Minister Marwan Charbel told
al-Liwaa Daily that
he will sign the contract which was referred to him on an administrative basis,
stressing that he does not support civil marriage. He noted that legalizing the
civil marriage requires the drafting of a new law, “or the creation of a new confession given the number
19”.
In this context, Charbel said that the civil marriage contract referred
by the judicial advisory committee is an administrative contract, and any
dispute erupting between the contractors must be resolved by each sect’s legal
courts.
Al-Liwaa
Newspaper reported that political officials discussed the transportation of 50 tons of dynamite and 51 thousand
meters of fuse, that were
expected to be exported on Thursday to Syria upon the confirmation of the concerned
military, security and administrative concerned authorities.
This shipment was
sent by the Lebanese Explosives Company to the General Establishment of Geology
in the Syrian
Arab Republic, and was
transported by two trucks escorted by security vehicles through al-Masnaa crossing
point.
Lebanese
security sources told the newspaper that the company’s activity is legal and
licensed, noting that the company sells dynamite products to be used in
quarries in Lebanon and Syria.
The
sources added that the legalization of the exports and sales which have been
ongoing for years do not constitute a problem, but the timing of this shipment is
questionable, since Syria is currently witnessing a bloody war between the regime and its opponents,
where explosives and weapons are being widely used.
Sources close to
former PM Saad Hariri told
al-Joumhouria Daily that, up until today, Hariri is
receiving advice from international, regional and local security sources urging
him not to return to Lebanon, adding that Hariri’s speech was emotional and
only aims at mobilizing his supporters.
Al-Akhbar Daily reported that a statement was distributed on Friday across Tripoli,
signed by the “Supporters of Sunnis and Free Army in Lebanon”, whereby they
warned against what they called “the strife of the media coordinator of the
Free Syrian Army Luay Mekdad”, holding him responsible for the “revolutionary
arrest warrant” issued against Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, his
brother Taha and the latter’s son Azmi.
The
statement considered that “these statements are poisoned” and come within an
electoral campaign for former PM Saad Hariri and MP Oqab Saqr.
MP Sami Gemayel said that if the political system was normal in Lebanon, we
would not have had this trouble in the elections’ issue and if the administrative decentralization was applied, the political authorities would not
have fallen into imbalance.
In a statement to
As-Safir Daily,
Gemayel said that according to Lebanon’s current system, those who are not a
part of the authority, do not have anything, and “that is why everybody fights
for the majority in the Parliament, then in the cabinet where all the powers
and gains exist.”
In this context, Gemayel stressed that any solution
that does not include a system reform will bring back the conflict between
confessions, noting that the hybrid electoral law is only a settlement but it
does not solve the problem posed by the system nor the existing disputes over
the illegal arms and the absence of partnership between the Christians.
However, he explained that when the administrative
decentralization is applied the money will be distributed to 26 districts, a
Senate will be formed to preserve the rights of the sects and Lebanon’s
neutrality will contribute to the removal of foreign decisions and
interventions from the cabinet, which could lead to the reduction of the intensity of the conflict over the
government and the Parliament from 100%, to 30%.