DAILY SCOPE: France Demands Reassurances for Hariri, Presidential Void Ongoing
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AL-AKHBAR:
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AL-JOMHOURIA:
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AD-DIYAR:
Who Planned to Ruin Relations Between Hariri, Berri?
Lebanese newspapers issued on Thursday discussed several social and political topics, with focus on the visit of the French Foreign Minister to Lebanon and his meetings with Lebanese officials and politicians. Also, the dailies touched on the Litani river pollution crisis, and discussed the latest regional events highlighting the current events in Iraq.
AN-NAHAR: Presidential Void Ongoing, Lebanon to More Paralysis?
Ministerial sources told An-Nahar newspaper that the outcome of the French Foreign Minister's visit to Lebanon does not give any hope on seeing a president in office soon, but rather assures that the presidential elections is far from happening anytime in the near future.
On this note, labor Minister Sajaan Qazzi told An-Nahar newspaper that halting the meeting of the joint parliamentary committees and the session held to elect a president gives the impression that Lebanon is allowed to carry out the municipal elections only.
On Wednesday, the parliament failed for the 42nd time to elect a president over a lack of quorum and joint parliamentary committees were also unable to meet to resume talks on a new vote law for the same reason. This ongoing failure to elect a president has paralyzed the parliament and crippled the government's wok.
AL-BINAA: Aoun for President, or 1960 Law for Elections
Al-Binaa newspaper said on Thursday that the "cloud cover" on French FM Ayrault's visit to Lebanon ended and it was revealed that France tried to naturalize relations with Hizbullah in the framework of adapting to the international and regional changing factors and game.
Well-informed sources told the newspaper that the Lebanese political scene stands before two options; either electing Head of the Free Patriotic Movement as President in the coming August session or head towards parliamentary elections in the coming year based on the 1960 electoral law.
On a related note, sources from the parliament told the newspaper that there are no new events in terms of the presidential impasse or in the electoral law file, assuring that if the Lebanese do not agree on a new electoral law by October, then the elections have to take place based on the 1960 electoral law.
AL-LIWAA: Ayrault Demands Parliamentary Immunity for Hariri
In light of the French FM's visit to Lebanon, sources close to Hizbullah said that the French Foreign Minister tried to know what sort of guarantees would Hizbullah present to Future Party head Saad Hariri if he accepted to vote for free Patriotic Movement chief Michel Aoun.
The sources did not explicitly say what the question was about, but implied that it might be linked to the issue of the Prime Ministry and the electoral law to give Hariri a parliamentary immunity.
During his meeting with Hizbullah officials, Ayrault noted that Paris' latest contacts with Tehran were aimed at "creating an atmosphere that facilitates the stalled presidential election," urging that "the Lebanese should take the initiative and 'Lebanonize' the juncture.
"Ex-PM Saad Hariri said he would accept the election of Aoun as president if he receives reassurances from Hizbullah, but he was told that he can take the guarantees from Aoun," the Ayrault said.
Since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014, Lebanon has been without a president.
Source: al-Ahed news