Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, the political assistant of Speaker Nabih Berri, refrained from attending what was described as an unprecedented meeting between various political parties over an electoral law, and that Berri is annoyed with the parties and their handling of his suggestion of an electoral law format, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.
The daily said that “Khalil's absence came upon Berri's request as an expression of dissatisfaction with how his latest law proposal was handled by the political parties.”
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A Lebanese man who crossed the border into Israel on Thursday was returned Friday to Lebanon via the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
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A meeting over the electoral law was held Friday afternoon between the representatives of the country's main political parties, media reports said.
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Syria's military said Israel struck a military installation southwest of Damascus International Airport before dawn Thursday, setting off a series of explosions and raising tensions further between the two neighbors.
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Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil stressed Friday that respect for the 1943 National Pact must also involve parliament, not only the government, as he noted that the FPM is ready to “sacrifice” parliamentary seats in order to avoid another extension of parliament's term.
Full StoryProgressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat touched on the presidential elections in France and cautioned against far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen's win in the second round of the elections.
“Be careful of Le Pen she has not been defeated yet. (Far-left firebrand Jean-Luc) Melenchon and the so-called far-left are dangerous, opportunists and have no principles,” said Jumblat in a tweet.
Full StoryBritish ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter met with Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday where discussions focused on the impending deadline for the parliamentary elections, a press statement said.
“I welcomed the current political momentum that has re-activated Lebanon’s institutions and re-energized the strong bilateral cooperation between the UK and Lebanon,” said Shorter.
Full StoryLebanese Forces MP Shant Chinchinian confirmed on Friday the party's willingness to discuss any electoral law format provided that it ensures proper representation, "especially for the Christians."
"Some parties are deliberately wasting time so as to either impose the 1960 election law or extend the parliament's term,” Chinchinian told VDL (93.3) in an interview.
Full StoryThe General Security in Mount Lebanon arrested on Friday a group of three drug dealers in the Blat-Jbeil neighborhood north of Beirut, the National News Agency reported.
Based on an order by the competent judiciary, the General Security staged raids after midnight on a house in the neighborhood of Blat-Jbeil and arrested three individuals, two men and a female, active in the drug trade, NNA said.
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Speaker Nabih Berri revealed that he has completed drafting two formats one for an electoral law based on proportional representation, and another “integrated” for establishing a senate, and that he handed them to the various political parties and kept their contents secret pending their positions, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.
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