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
Marwan Hamadeh said that Hezbollah has crossed all the Lebanese security and
national red lines when it implemented the "Iranian" decision to interfere in the
Syrian war.
In
a statement to
al-Joumhouria Daily, Hamadeh said that the Shiite party violated
the principles of coexistence and the constitution and threatened the interests
of the Lebanese people in the country and abroad, in reference to the reactions
of the Arab States.
Well-informed sources told
as-Safir Newspaper that the meeting held on Tuesday between President Michel
Sleiman and member of the “Loyalty to the Resistance” bloc MP Mohammad Raad was
not negative, but included on the other hand an exchange of points of view
regarding the repercussions of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon. Both parties also stressed
the need to reveal the circumstances of the incident which took place near the
Iranian embassy in Beirut and which led to the death of one citizen.
In this context, the
sources reported that Sleiman stressed the importance that everyone commit to
the dissociation policy through the implementation of the Baabda Declaration,
pointing out that Hezbollah is a Lebanese party which is represented in the
Lebanese Parliament and cabinet, a fact which imposes its withdrawal from
Syria.
The same sources said that
Raad explained the party’s point of view concerning its participation in the
Syrian battles, and stated that Hezbollah is keen on continuing its meetings
and contacts with all the parties.
Well-informed parliamentary sources told
al-Joumhouria Newspaper
that the law pertaining to the extension of the Parliament’s mandate is valid
and cannot be cancelled before its annulment by the constitutional council
which has a period of 15 days from the presentation of the report, meaning until the 29th of June.
However, given the current situation, the constitutional
council has until the 18th of June to issue a decision whether or not to annul the
law, in order for the Parliament to convene and set a new date for the
extension, since it will be unable to legislate following the 20th of
June.
In this context, caretaker Minister of Environment Nazem
al-Khoury told
an-Nahar Daily that the fate of the Parliament, the cabinet and
the elections depends on the decision of the constitutional council regarding
the appeals presented against the law of extension.
Sources close to President Michel Sleiman told
an-Nahar Daily that the
President is preparing to launch a personal initiative due to the existence of a
resigning cabinet, noting that he will be holding talks with the Arab States
which have decided to take measures against Hezbollah members.
The sources added that President Sleiman met on Tuesday with
member of the “Loyalty to the Resistance” bloc MP Mohammad Raad, where he
stressed the need to abstain from interfering in the Syrian war and to commit
to the Baabda Declaration in order to "avoid a disaster".