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 mentioned that the discussion pertaining
to the elections dominated the session held between Speaker Nabih Berri and the United
States Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly on Monday in Ain el-Tineh.
In this context, Connelly did not mull on any
electoral details but she stressed the need to hold the elections on their due
time, as per the Constitution.
For his part, Speaker Nabih Berri said that the
1960's electoral law “is doomed for failure” and reminded Connelly that the Doha
law is rejected by all parties, adding that he opposes all the electoral draft
laws that serve personal interests.
In this
regard, Berri said that the Lebanese people should agree on the Orthodox
proposal or on another new law that guarantees fair representation and honors
the Constitution, and mentioned that the Cabinet rejected unanimously the 1960's
electoral law.
The political official of "Al-Jamaa
al-Islamiya" in South Lebanon, Bassam Hammoud told
As-Safir Daily that Al-Jamaa and
the Islamist forces in Sidon will visit the Lebanese officials in order to come
up with a solution in regards to the situation in Sidon.
In this context, Hammoud said that actions
are being taken to reach common grounds, to settle all the issues
and to alleviate the people’s concerns.
“We are highly concerned about the citizens’
living conditions in Sidon. In fact, everyone has the right to voice his
opinion regarding all the incidents as well as his political standpoint. It is
noteworthy that Sidon is our city and the economic situation has deteriorated further
due to the security situation”, Hammoud added.
Lebanese President Michel Sleiman signed on Monday the decree calling on the electoral
bodies to hold the upcoming parliamentary elections on the 9th of June in order
to “impose a fait accompli” and to hold the elections as per the 1960's
electoral law, according to high-ranking political sources in March 8 coalition.
The
aforementioned sources told
Al-Akhbar Daily that Sleiman “is trying to
circumvent all the efforts” that aim at adopting a new electoral law and the
Orthodox Gathering proposal.
Sources
told
Al-Akhbar Daily that the Sheikh of Imam Bilal bin Rabah mosque Ahmad Assir
delivered a speech on Monday in the Mosque and said that “the rules of the game
have changed”.
In this context,
Assir said that the Supreme Defense Council’s decision, which debarred him from
taking any action outside the Mosque, was issued by the Speaker Nabih Berri and
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah “since they are aware that
he will violate it, prompting the security forces to kill him".
Al-Akhbar
Newspaper mentioned that Sheikh Assir’s supporters were exchanging text
messages that call for staging a sit-in on Tuesday toward the town of Nabatieh and
not to react to the Security forces’ provocations or to any party’s aggression.