Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed on Tuesday that establishing a quota for women in the upcoming parliamentary electoral law is essential, as he stressed that efforts are pushing in that direction.

“When we first launched the Ministry of Women’s Affairs we were planning to strengthen the Lebanese society in general. Empowering women (simultaneously) empowers Lebanon,” said Hariri from the Grand Serail, during the launching of the Office of the Minister of State for Women Affairs.

Change and Reform MP Ibrahim Kanaan stressed on Tuesday that approving the long-stalled wage scale without making the necessary reforms is a deception, stressing that the decision to approve it is political, the National News Agency reported.

“Approving the wage scale without introducing the needed reforms is an attempt to cheat the people and burden them with the policies of squandering and corruption,” said Kanaan.

In light of Lebanon's inability to agree on a number of issues that guarantee a smooth political activity after the election of President Michel Aoun, reports said that Gulf and International countries are dissatisfied with Lebanon's policy mainly with regard to international resolutions, decisions related to the Syrian regime and positions related to Hizbullah and its arms, media reports said on Tuesday.

The Gulf and International disappointment came in parallel with three “negative indicators,” said al-Joumhouria daily.

The Kataeb Party on Monday lashed out anew at what it called a government of “contradictions” over its continued failure to approve a new electoral law.

A cabinet session dedicated to discussing the 2017 state budget was called off on Monday due to a lack of quorum.

The commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East has met with top officials in Lebanon to discuss American military aid and other efforts to contain the fallout from the civil war in neighboring Syria.

President Michel Aoun emphasized Monday that no one will be able to strain the relations between Christians and Druze in Lebanon, stressing the importance of unity in the Mount Lebanon district.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri followed up on Monday on the deteriorating security situation in the southern Palestinian refugees camp of Ain el-Hilweh in Sidon.

Hariri received at the Grand Serail a delegation from the Sidon Consultative Gathering that included former PM Fouad Saniora, MP Bahia Hariri, Mufti of Sidon Sheikh Salim Susan, Sidon Mayor Mohammed Saudi, Vice President of the Politburo of al-Jamaa al-Islamiya Bassam Hammoud and its members.

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea emphasized on Monday that party ministers and lawmakers will not vote in favor of the draft budget plan if it does not include the privatization of the state-run electricity sector.

“I assure you, the Lebanese Forces' ministers and lawmakers will not vote for the budget without privatizing the electricity sector,” Geagea told LBCI.

An Israeli unit carried out on Monday some changes near the occupied Shebaa Farms, the National News Agency reported.

It said that the unit, comprised of a bulldozer and a number of soldiers, removed cubes of reinforced concrete near the Shebaa Farms.