Press Digest for Friday May 03, 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.

• MP Jumblatt: "Fait accompli" government is unacceptable

National Struggle Front leader MP Walid Jumblatt reiterated to As-Safir newspaper on Friday his rejection to "the 'fait accompli' government", urging the swift formation of a new one.

MP Jumblatt called on Lebanese factions to facilitate the task of Prime Minister-Designate Tammam Salam to spare the country further tensions.

According to the Daily, MP Jumblatt asserted that reaching a common ground pertaining to the electoral draft law is still "possible", calling on each party to exert efforts in this regard.

For his part, MP-Designate Tammam Salam denied to As-Safir newspaper on Friday his will to form a "'fait accompli' government", stressing on the formation of a government that would oversee the upcoming parliamentary elections.

• Caretaker Minister Charbel: Qatar and Turkey to solve the case of Lebanese hostages in Aazaz

Caretaker Minister of Interior Marwan Charbel told As-Safir newspaper on Friday that the case of Lebanese hostages in Syria's Aazaz will soon see an end.

He added that General Security Chief Major General Abbas Ibrahim is exerting efforts in this regards along with the Turkish and Qatari authorities.

According to the Daily, the Ministry of Interior is still awaiting the names of women detained in Syrian prisons.

• Security sources: Pictures of Sheikh Assir taken in the region of Aleppo

Security sources asserted to An-Nahar newspaper on Friday that the pictures of the Imam bin Rabah mosque Sheikh Ahmad Al Assir were taken in the region of Aleppo and not in the region of Qussair in Syria.

Sources added that Sheikh Al Assir entered the Syrian territories through Turkey and not through the Lebanese bordering region of Arsal.

• MP Fatfat: Future bloc refuses dividing Lebanon into 13 districts

Future bloc MP Ahmad Fatfat told Al-Mustaqbal newspaper on Friday that he notified Speaker Nabih Berri that the Future bloc rejects Berri's proposal stipulating the division of Lebanon into 13 electoral districts.

MP Fatfat added that he reiterated the proposal of MP Saad Hariri stating the carrying out of the upcoming parliamentary elections based on the majoritarian  system.