The cabinet will hold at the end of this week at the Grand Serail the first session in the absence of a head of state, however, the meeting is not expected to discuss any controversial issues.
“The session will discuss an uncontroversial agenda,” Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq told An Nahar newspaper published on Wednesday, ruling out that new appointments will be tackled at the session.
Full StoryFormer President Michel Suleiman has vowed to back the resistance if it asked for his support but on condition that it abides by a defense strategy for the country.
In remarks to As Safir daily published on Wednesday, he said: “When the resistance needs assistance, it will find President Suleiman as its supporter but within known conditions and the vision of the strategy.”
Full StoryThe vacuum in the presidency on Tuesday spilled over into parliament, which once again failed to approve a controversial wage hike draft-law, angering civil servants and mainly teachers who vowed to go ahead with their plan to boycott the official exams.
A legislative session that had been postponed to Tuesday was adjourned by Speaker Nabih Berri to June 10 over lack of quorum caused by the boycott of the majority of Christian lawmakers.
Full StoryThe Free Patriotic Movement is holding behind closed doors meetings to discuss the presidential deadlock and the party's options.
According to the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Anbaa on Tuesday, the FPM so far held a series of meetings away from media spotlight in this regard.
Full StorySpeaker Nabih Berri is mulling to call for a national dialogue session to find ways to resolve the political crisis resulting from the vacuum at Baabda Palace, parliamentary sources said.
The sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat published on Tuesday that “the complicated political situation that is accompanying the presidential vacuum, led Speaker Nabih Berri to study the possibility to invite for a national dialogue.”
Full StoryUnited Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly lamented on Monday the parliament's failure to elect a new president, expressing the U.N.'s regret over the emergence of vacuum in the presidency.
He said: “We underline again that there is no international impediment to the election.”
Full StoryThe United Nations Security Council is mulling a French draft resolution regarding the importance of electing a new head of state in Lebanon and end the presidential deadlock.
According to a report published on Monday in the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat, the Security Council is discussing ways to convince the political arch-foes to elect a new president to fortify state institutions and safeguard the country.
Full StoryFrench President Francois Hollande telephoned on Sunday former President Michel Suleiman to express to him his concern over the situation in Lebanon given the vacuum in the presidency, reported Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3).
It said that the French president hoped that Lebanon would elect a president “as soon as possible” and that vacuum would not last too long.
Full StoryFree Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun is keen to maintain contacts between him and Mustaqbal Movement chief Saad Hariri in order to reach an agreement over the presidential elections, reported the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa daily on Sunday.
March 14 alliance sources told the daily however that the possibility of an understanding between the two officials ended with the end of President Michel Suleiman's term.
Full StoryMore than 40 MPs of the March 14 alliance gathered at the parliament on Saturday evening to protest the presidential vacuum, hours after President Michel Suleiman left the Baabda Palace without a successor to take office in the coming 6 years.
MTV revealed that 48 lawmakers gathered in the presence of Speaker Nabih Berri, who announced his readiness to hold an electoral parliamentary session if quorum was met.
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