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.
An-Nahar Daily confirmed that Speaker Nabih
Berri was not surprised when the outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati resigned,
and reiterated on Saturday that the latter was subject to numerous pressures
and ‘shouldered heavy burdens’ which led eventually to his resignation.
In this regard, Speaker Berri told March 14
forces that “were calling for the resignation of the government”: “We pave the
way for dialogue under the auspices of President Michel Sleiman”.
An-Nahar
Daily reported that the Future bloc leader Fouad Siniora visited on Saturday
the outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Grand Serail, and told him that
his resignation should have taken place earlier but it is “a positive step that
will open new horizons”.
Sources
reported that the meeting was set to discuss the file pertaining to the attacks
against the Dar al-Fatwa clerics but both officials seized the opportunity to tackle
the resignation of the government.
Following
his resignation on Friday, the outgoing PM Mikati also met with the ambassador
of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri and discussed the current
developments in the country.
The outgoing
Prime Minister Najib Mikati was adamant on clarifying that the decision he took
to leave office ‘was a mere personal choice which falls in the country’s
interest’, and reiterated that many reasons pushed him to opt for resignation.
In the
details, PM Mikati told
An-Nahar Daily: “I felt during the Cabinet last session
that the situation reached a deadlock and is heading toward further exacerbation
as the country is inching closer to legal and constitutional due dates in terms
of the upcoming parliamentary elections as well the file of the Lebanese
Internal Security Forces (ISF) Major General Ashraf Rifi”.
In addition,
PM Mikati said that he was bound to ‘create a shock’ in order to smooth things
over and suggest a new approach to the current situation.
Future bloc
MP Ahmad Fatfat stressed that the resignation of the government should have
taken place long time ago “due to wrong practices as well as the disobedience
of some Ministers”, especially Foreign Affairs Minister Adnan Mansour.
In this
regard, MP Fatfat pointed out also to "the abuses committed by Change and Reform
bloc MPs", the scandals pertaining to the file of electricity and the assassination
of the head of the Information Division of the Internal Security Forces Brigadier
General Wissam al-Hassan.
MP Fatfat revealed
to the Kuwait-based
Al-Seyassah Daily that the opposition can resort to
dialogue that the President Michel Sleiman has called for since the government
will not be formed unless the Lebanese parties reach a common ground.