Disagreements between rival parties on the elections spiraled out of control on Tuesday leading to the postponement of a parliamentary session after a camp backed the suspension of candidacies for the June elections and another sought an extension.
A largescale meeting for parliament's bureau was held under Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday morning after a similar meeting the day before. It was attended by Caretaker Premier Najib Miqati, lawmakers from the Lebanese Forces and the Phalange and Marada movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh.
Full StoryParliament will most likely approve an urgent draft-law on Tuesday to amend the deadlines for the submission of candidacies to the legislative elections without canceling them.
Speaker Nabih Berri called for the parliamentary session at 10:30 am Tuesday.
Full StoryThe second day of the binding parliamentary consultation kicked off on Saturday morning with the blocs continuing their support for MP Tammam Salam to head a new government.
LBCI television reported that the MP garnered a total of 124 votes by lawmakers to assume the position of prime minister.
Full StoryThe members of the March 14 opposition alliance, who have severely criticized the so-called Orthodox Gathering draft-law, warned again on Wednesday that the country would be shattered if parliament gives it the green light.
In remarks to al-Liwaa daily, March 14 independent Christian MP Butros Harb said he sought to convince Speaker Nabih Berri during a meeting of the joint parliamentary committees to postpone the approval of the proposal's 2nd article.
Full StoryA top Syrian security official has recently sent Hizbullah a list of Lebanese political and military personalities targeted for assassination, the Kuwaiti al-Seyassah newspaper reported on Sunday.
The daily quoted a Gulf diplomat in Abu Dhabi as saying that the list, which includes 13 names, was sent by Maj. Gen. Ali Mamlouk, who has been charged by a Lebanese military court of involvement along with ex-Information Minister Michel Samaha in a terror plot to destabilize Lebanon.
Full StoryMarch 14 MP Marwan Hamadeh considered on Monday that the electoral subcommittee meetings are to witness the exchange of viewpoints among the rival political parties over which electoral law to adopt during the upcoming polls.
“If the electoral subcommittee meetings were a waste of time, we wouldn't have set more than one session,” Hamadeh said in comments to Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3).
Full StoryOpposition lawmaker Robert Ghanem said Thursday he will meet with Speaker Nabih Berri next week to discuss with him a proposal to head meetings of a parliamentary subcommittee on an electoral draft-law, which are seen as a test of intentions.
Ghanem told An Nahar daily he hasn't yet been officially notified to head the meetings over the presence of Deputy Speaker Farid Makari, who is the subcommittee's chairman, in Paris.
Full StoryOpposition MP Marwan Hamadeh said Wednesday the formation of a salvation government is the first of three conditions set by the March 14 alliance to return to the national dialogue table.
President Michel Suleiman “knows what's the alternative to the resumption of dialogue,” Hamadeh told Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5).
Full StoryMarch 14 opposition members of the parliamentary subcommittee announced on Monday that they will return to the committee meetings aimed at discussing a new parliamentary electoral law.
They announced, after a meeting held at MP Butros Harb's residence, that they will return to the meetings, which will be held a hotel near the parliament building in downtown Beirut, adding that the discussions should not exceed one week.
Full StorySpeaker Nabih Berri has suggested that March 14 opposition lawmakers, many of whom have received death threats, reside at a hotel near parliament to attend the meetings of a parliamentary subcommittee after they said they were fearing for their lives.
March 14 MP Marwan Hamadeh, who held a telephone conversation with Berri, told As Safir daily published on Wednesday that the speaker suggested that the lawmakers reside at the hotel and hold the meetings in parliament after guaranteeing enough security protection to them.
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