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.
Al-Akhbar Daily reported that a dispute erupted between
security members belonging to the Progressive Socialist Party inside the Druze
House building in Beirut, following an exchange of accusations on the backdrop of
a coffee poisoning incident.
The dispute escalated to a fight where knives and sharp weapons
were used, and did not ease until some members opened fire in the air.
Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told
Acharq al-Awsat
Newspaper that, according to the article 50 of the Lebanese Constitution, the
deadline to submit candidatures will be extended for seven days following a
decree issued by the Interior Minister, in case no applications were submitted.
In this context, Charbel noted that 50 candidates have submitted
their names so far, including seven from the National Struggle Front headed by
MP Walid Jumblatt, noting that reaching an agreement over a new electoral law
during today’s session would not be an easy process.
However, Charbel revealed that the hybrid electoral law is most
probable to be approved.
On another note,
al-Akhbar Daily reported that the Future
Movement contacted Amal al-Masri al-Halabi who is an employee at the
International Court and the daughter of Sheikh Salman al-Masri, in order to
discuss the possibility of her running for the Beirut Druze seat in the parliamentary
elections, instead of MP and Public works Minister Ghazi Aridi.
PM-Designate Tammam Salam stressed that his cabinet will have
the mission of holding the elections, noting that he will do his best to escape
falling in the same mistakes of the previous cabinets that failed to manage the
country’s crises.
In a statement to
Al-Liwaa Daily, Salam said that his
traditional visits to former PMs were positive and relieving, especially his meetings
with Siniora and Aoun, pointing out that he is seeking a non-political cabinet
in which the ministers cannot be candidates for the parliamentary elections and
not affiliated with any political party or group.
In this context, the PM-designate added that he is thinking of
forming a cabinet of 12 to 16 ministers, stressing that his government’s
mission is limited to guaranteeing the parliamentary elections after making the
necessary preparations.
A member of the Free and Unified Lebanon bloc said that the
easiness in the designation of the Prime Minister does not mean that the
formation of the cabinet will also be easy, noting that forming a government is
a difficult process which includes conditions, demands, vetoes as well as other
details experienced during the formation of the previous cabinets.
The Marada Movement official told
As-Safir Newspaper that
March 14 forces are acting as if Tammam Salam were their candidate, stressing
that this has led MP Sleiman Frangieh to boycott the consultations held at
the Baabda Palace.
“Some may think that MP Michel Aoun’s calmness and Hezbollah’s
leniency are signs of weakness, but these people are for sure mistaken,” the
official stated, adding that as much as MP Frangieh is reassured toward PM-designate
Tammam Salam, he remains vigilant toward the movement of which Salam "emanated" from.