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Aoun Says Cabinet Boycott 'Unacceptable', Miqati Warns against 'Worsening Rift'

President Michel Aoun on Wednesday said the boycott of Cabinet sessions by Hizbullah and the Amal Movement is “unacceptable,” noting that any objections should be addressed through institutions.

“Cabinet must convene and I’m not obliged to alone sign any resolution,” Aoun said at a Higher Defense Council meeting.

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Jumblat Lauds Constitutional Council’s Ruling, Says FPM ‘Has Failed’

Head of the Progressive Socialist Party Walid Jumblat lauded the Constitutional Council’s ruling, saying that it is a failure for the Free Patriotic Movement.

"The FPM has failed, especially in its hope to restrict the voting of expatriates,” Jumblat said in a press interview.

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Bassil Slams 'Shiite Duo', Decries 'New Four-Party Alliance'

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Tuesday lashed out at Hizbullah and the Amal Movement over the Constitutional Council’s failure to issue a ruling on an appeal filed by the FPM against the electoral law’s amendments.

“The Constitutional Council has committed suicide,” Bassil said in a televised address.

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U.N. Secretary-General Visits UNIFIL

As part of his visit to Lebanon to show the United Nations’ "solidarity with the country and its people," U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday visited UNIFIL Headquarters in south Lebanon and met with peacekeepers, UNIFIL said.

Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col received the U.N. chief and briefed him on the mission’s work in the South.

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Guterres: Hizbullah Must Become Political Party, Lebanon Needs New Social Contract

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that Hizbullah must become a political party, while noting that Lebanon needs a “new social contract” that would lead to the rebuilding of the middle class that has been ravaged by the country’s brutal economic and financial crisis.

Guterres, who is on a four-day visit to Lebanon, voiced his remarks in an interview with Saudi daily Asharq al-Awsat that was published Tuesday evening.

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LF Hails Constitutional Council for 'Staying Out of Deals'

MP George Adwan of the Lebanese Forces on Tuesday lauded the Constitutional Council for “staying out of (political) deals,” shortly after the Council announced that it failed to issue a ruling on an appeal filed by the Free Patriotic Movement against the electoral law’s amendments.

“The (Council’s) members maintained their stance,” Adwan added, noting that “the constitutional and legal right of non-residents to vote for 128 seats has triumphed.”

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Baabda Laments Constitutional Council's 'Flop'

Baabda sources on Tuesday described as a “flop” the Constitutional Council’s failure to issue a ruling on the Free Patriotic Movement’s appeal against the electoral law’s amendments.

“President Michel Aoun had not requested anything” from the Council, the sources told LBCI television.

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U.N. Chief Calls for Impartial Probe into Beirut Port Blast

The U.N. chief, who is visiting Lebanon, has called for an impartial and transparent investigation into last year's massive Beirut port explosion to ensure justice.

The Aug. 4, 2020 blast has been described as one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in the world. It devastated parts of the Lebanese capital, killing at least 216 people and injuring thousands.

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Constitutional Council Fails to Issue Ruling on Electoral Law Appeal

The Constitutional Council failed Tuesday to issue a ruling on the appeal filed by the Free Patriotic Movement against the electoral law’s amendments, which means that the adjustments will go into effect and that no six new seats will be dedicated to expats.

Admitting that the no-ruling can be considered a “flop” for the Council, Judge Tannous Meshleb, the Council’s chief, said “the appeal would not have resolved Lebanon’s crisis.”

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Deal or No Deal? Parties Say 'No Bargain' as Berri, Miqati Deny 'Dispute'

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said that his relation with Prime Minister Najib Miqati is good, rejecting what has been said about a possible argument between the two, after Miqati was seen leaving angry Monday from a meeting with Berri.

Miqati’s circles have also negated the “alleged dispute,” stressing that the relation between Berri and Miqati is good.

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