Press Digest for Saturday March 02, 2013

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.

• Geagea: The cabinet’s electoral proposal ‘had been buried’

              
LF Chief Samir Geagea said that Lebanon did not witness any serious move toward a consensus electoral law pointing out that some factions got back to the cabinet’s proposal.               

Geagea told An-Nahar newspaper that the cabinet’s proposal “had been buried two months ago” when some parties proposed the Orthodox Gathering’s electoral draft and called for considering Lebanon as one electoral district.                        

“Some are working to keep the 1960’s electoral law, but the majority of the Lebanese no longer want it,” Geagea said.                     

• MP Fatfat: The Future bloc will boycott the General Authority session       

MP Ahmad Fatfat assured that the Future Bloc will boycott the Parliament’s General Authority session.                  

Fatfat told An-Nahar newspaper that the participation of Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Tripoli’s Ministers will lead to a political crisis that affects their representation.              

• Parliamentary sources say elections might be postponed           

Parliamentary sources told Al-Liwaa newspaper that ambiguity regarding the elections had increased when Speaker Nabih Berri took the initiative and backed away from his electoral proposal.              

In this context, the sources ruled out any consensual agreement on an electoral law and pointed out that the elections might be postponed under the pretext of giving more time for consultations.            

• Discussions between the Future Bloc and the PSP are continuous                             

A parliamentary source said that technical discussion between the Future Bloc and the Progressive Socialist Party are still underway and added that these discussions mainly focus on the electoral proposal presented by Fouad Boutros.          

The source told Al-Liwaa newspaper that the remaining time is not enough to agree on a consensual electoral law seemingly since electoral bodies are to be invited to the elections before the 9th of March.                       

• Bassil:Elections will not be held on the basis of the 1960’s law           

Energy Minister Gebran Bassil asked Christians to prepare themselves “to get to the streets” if their rights were violated and if the Orthodox Gathering’s electoral draft or any electoral proposal that ensures just representation were not ratified.                 

Bassil told Al-Akhbar newspaper that electoral bodies will be invited to the elections on the basis of the Orthodox Gathering’s electoral draft and added that the Parliamentary General Authority will convene before the 11th of March to issue a decree that invites these bodies.          

“Elections will not be held on the basis of the 1960’s electoral law,” Bassil concluded.