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.
Speaker Nabih Berri
expressed anger over the outcome of the discussions and failure to reach an
agreement over a new electoral law, adding that this situation proves that the ruling class in Lebanon is unable to “produce an internal settlement without depending
on foreign assistance.”
According to
as-Safir
Daily, Berri stressed that, in principle, he is against the adoption of the
1960 law, but in case the Christian parties agreed on adopting it and presented
their candidatures according to it, he is ready to accept.
In this context, Berri
noted that holding the elections according to the said electoral law will
technically lead to a 4-year extension to the current status-quo, pointing out that
the same parliamentary combination will be reproduced.
On the other hand,
caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel stressed that he is working as if
the elections will be held as scheduled, noting that the ministry will be ready
to hold the elections; on the condition that the required electoral supervisory committee will be provided.
Commenting on whether
he received any calls concerning amending the 1960 law, Charbel told
al-Joumhouria Daily that a number of deputies contacted him and informed him of
the amendments they are suggesting, stating that “there is enough time to hold
the elections as scheduled, especially if the deputies agree on amending the 1960
law.”
The former ISF Chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi revealed that he is exerting
the needed efforts in order to restore calmness in the country, stressing that
the government and its institutions should work on reinstating security for the
people of Tripoli.
Al-Joumhouria Daily quoted Rifi as saying that he is deploying every
possible effort to find a solution to the crisis, expecting that the situation
will witness a progressive improvement in the coming days.
“We live in an unstable region, and we should expect to receive
fragments from the Syrian crisis,” he said, while reassuring the Lebanese
people that he does not foresee a complete blow over in Lebanon, but only
sporadic events on the borders and in Akkar, Bekaa and maybe in Beirut.
Prime Minister-Designate Tammam Salam stressed that he is
still waiting the result of the ongoing meetings, noting that he will be following
up on the next session of the General Authority which will finalize the issue
of the extension of the Parliament’s mandate.
In a statement to
an-Nahar Newspaper, Salam said that he is
holding on to the principles he adopted to form a new cabinet, concerning the
formation of a government of 24 ministers who are not candidates for the
parliamentary elections and without including a “blocking third”.
In this context, sources close to Salam expected that the “serious
work dedicated to the formation of a government” will kick off on Friday.
The President of the Lebanese Federation of
Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture Mohammed Shakir said that the Union Coordination
Committee's (UCC) declaration that it will renew its movements calling for the
referral of the ranks and salaries series to the Parliament, in nothing but “madness”.
In an interview with
al-Liwaa
Newspaper, Shakir said that “whomever reopens the file of the ranks and
salaries series is a 'mentally challenged person' who does not live in this
country,” noting that the situation in Lebanon has witnessed major changes on
the political and the security levels.
However, he noted that the economic sectors
fear the developments of the upcoming days, stressing that he is not ready to
discuss the issue of the pay scale furthermore.