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Phalange Warns against Maneuvering around 1960, Urges Cabinet to Commit to Disassociation Policy

The Phalange Party warned on Monday against trying to maneuver around the 1960 law before reaching consensus over a new draft, urging the adoption of the Baabda Declaration's principles after the formation of a new cabinet.

"There is a wrong spread impression that a new law has been adopted through aiming at postponing constitutional time limits while the 1960's law has not been replaced yet,” the party said in a released statement after the political bureau's weekly meeting.

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Jumblat Rejects 'Political Maneuvering' over 1960 Law until Agreement on New One is Reached

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stressed on Monday his commitment to staging the parliamentary elections on time.

He rejected “political maneuvering over the 1960 electoral law until an agreement over a new one is reached.”

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Raad Says 'National Interest Govt.' Suggested by Salam Opens Door to 'Serious, Honest Dialogue'

Head of Loyalty to Resistance bloc MP Mohammed Raad on Monday said Hizbullah is seeking “stability and calm,” noting that the “national interest government” suggested by Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam “opens the door to a serious and honest dialogue.”

“We are seeking stability and calm and we know how to evaluate and calculate things,” Raad said at a memorial service in the southern town of al-Babliyeh.

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Franjieh Rejects Possibility of Forming Technocrat Government

Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh noted on Monday that past experiences have demonstrated that a technocrat government in Lebanon will fail in meeting its objectives.

He said before a delegation of Marada Movement members from the region of Keserouan: “A technocrat government cannot be formed during this critical time in Lebanon.”

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KSA Hopes Salam's Assignment Contributes to Stability, Prosperity in Lebanon

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia affirmed on Monday its "keenness on continuing the development of its distinguished relations with Lebanon”, expressing its hope that the assignment of PM-designate Tammam Salam to form the cabinet will contribute to the “stability and prosperity of the country”.

"We are keen on continuing the improvement of the special relations with have with Lebanon,” the Saudi cabinet said in a released statement.

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Interrogations with Ain Zhalta Armed Group Kick Off under Supervision of Saqr

Interrogations with an armed group accused of attempting to smuggle arms to “extremists” over the weekend kicked off on Monday.

According to the state-run National News Agency, State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr supervised the preliminary investigations with the armed gang.

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Relatives of Pilgrims Prevent Syrians from Heading to Workplaces

The families of the Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria last year prevented on Monday Syrian workers from heading to their workplaces in Shwaifat as part of the pressure exerted on them to release their loved ones.

The National News Agency said the relatives of the nine pilgrims stopped the Syrian laborers from entering factories and shops in Shwaifat's Tiro area.

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Madi Receives Names of 411 Suspects Involved in al-Madina Bank Scandal

An experts committee, tasked with probing the fraud case at al-Madina Bank, handed over on Monday General Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi a report that includes the names of the suspects that received suspicious funds.

The state-run National News Agency reported that the preliminary report cites the names of 411 identified suspects, who received fishy funds from al-Madina Bank.

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Al-Rahi before Traveling to Paris: Rival Parties Seeking to Strike Deal on Hybrid Law

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi revealed on Monday that all political parties were exerting efforts to strike a deal on a hybrid vote law after the four major Christian parties decided to suspend the Orthodox Gathering proposal.

“The hybrid electoral draft-law is everybody's demand,” said al-Rahi at Rafik Hariri International Airport before traveling to France.

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UNHCR Says Number of Syrian Refugees Exceeded 400,000 in Lebanon

The number of Syrian refugees, who fled the turmoil in their country to Lebanon, has soared to more than 400,000, the weekly report for the U.N.'s refugee body said on its weekly report on Monday.

According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees the number of registered refugees reached 12,000 during the past week, with 262,000 refugees already registered and 140,000 in the process of being registered.

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