has completed its task in studying the electoral law reforms
Other issues that will be the focus of attention in Lebanon are :
1- The speculation on who will be the next army chief. Based on the most recent reports Brigadier General Jean Kahwaji may be the choice of Defense Minister Elias Murr and he plans to propose his name during the cabinet meeting this Thursday
2- Reactions to the visit of French Foreign Minister Beranrd Kouchner who meet all the top leaders in Lebanon and then headed to Damascus whee he met with president Assad
3- The security concerns following last night clashes between Future Movement and Amal supporters in Ras al-Nabaa in west Beirut
4- The constitutional authorities of the deputy prime minister and whether his office should be at the Grand Serail near the Prime minister or in an adjacent building .
Tuesday
23:22 MP Zahra told Future TV: Aoun's visit to Jezzinedid not antagonize the Lebanese Forces but raised for us some questions because the planning and security for his trip was organized by foreign forces. Geagea does not need permission from anyone to visit Jezzine or any other area of Lebanon
23:10m ANB : Unknown people throw a bomb in Basra area
23:05 A percussion bomb was thrown in front of Husseiniyeh Bedyas in Sour ( Tyre) . Minor damages reported
22:58 MP Hadi Hubaish told LBC : What is the point of deciding on the electoral division today and postponing the reforms . The Opposition should not get veto power.
22:46 The body of citizen George Suleiman was discovered in the commercial district of Al Abdeh area
20:56 Protesters angry over electrical outages have blocked the main road in Kfarhabo, in the al-Dinieh area of northern Lebanon, with burning tires for three hours.
19:42 Sources in parliament tell NOW Lebanon that the reason electoral redistricting was postponed was because Speaker Nabih Berri wanted to retaliate against General Michel Aoun after Telecommunications Minister Gebran Bassil used the expression “the recovery of Jezzine.”
17:47 Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar requests inmates at the Roumieh prison end hunger strike and to have confidence in Lebanon’s justice and laws.“The relevant courts have issued the release of those whose legal status necessitates release,” he said
16:48 Belgian Defense Minister arrives in Lebanon to inspect his country’s contingent in UNIFIL
15:58 Telecommunications Minister Gibran Bassil talks to reporters after the parliament meeting
15:47 Voice of Lebanon: Speaker Berri adjourned the legislative session and decided to return the bill on electoral division to the parliamentary Administration and Justice Committee and asked for a revised bill to be returned to the parliament no later than September 25 ,2008
15:30 Egyptian FM Aboul Gheith is expected to arrive in Beirut tomorrow morning at 8 for a one day visit during which he is expected to meet Lebanon's 3 top leaders in addition to prominent politicians and the media
15:24 Parliament begins talks on electoral division.
15:02 Former PM Omar Karami from Cairo- President Mubarak confirmed to me his readiness to help Lebanon regain its historic role in the region and the world
13:57 president Suleiman met separately with Saudi ambassador Khoja and former minister of Justice Rizk & discussed the general conditions in Lebanon
13:45 Michel Sisson returned to Lebanon to present her papers as the US ambassador to Lebanon after having been confirmed by the US congress
13:40 Speaker Berri to form a parliamentary investigative committee to look into phone tapping. Minister Gibran Bassil wants to end phone tapping and wants to request Lebanon’s two mobile phone service providers stop providing information to any individuals or parties
13:00 Interior Minister Baroud: the ministry of communications had installed a system to prevent phone tapping but the system has not been operational yet because of the absence of reconciliation in Beirut
12:35 Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir called for solidarity among all Lebanese so that the life in the country could return to normal. He also expressed hope that the coming days would bring solutions to all problems.
12:15 Qabbani told Future TV: I protested during the parliament session against the attacks against people in Beirut but some tried to prevent me from talking , but they failed . We demanded that the Lebanese security should be serious in preventing clashes and demanded the elimination of political cover for all the trouble makers and make Beirut arms free zone. I am uneasy about agreeing to electoral district division without adopting electoral reforms.
12:00 PM Siniora : The request by Speaker Berri to remove all political banners and symbols in Beirut is a good gesture and we should all abide by it. The government will soon approve the decision to increase minimum wages in the private sector. Proposals are also being sent to the House of Representatives to raise minimum wages in the public sector.
11:49 At The parliament : Future MP Ghinwa Jaloul requests replacing the army officer responsible for the Tariq al-Jdeideh neighborhood of Beirut.
Future MP Ahmad Fatfat requests the disarmament of all Lebanese but Speaker Berri interjects and adds “Except the Resistance’s weapons.” In reference to Hezbollah weapons
11:26 Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Arab reports the assassination of Hezbollah official Hajj Jamil Saleh in Sour ( Tyre) on Monday.
11:15 At The parliament : A verbal dispute erupts between Amal and Future MPs during the parliamentary session about the clashes between the two parties’ supporters in Beirut on Monday night.
11:09 UNIFIL sources tell Future News, “We do not give importance to the threats exchanged between Israel and Hezbollah.”
11:08 The parliamentary session begins.
10:54 Al-Manar : Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya is participating in the Nejmeh Square demonstration of the families of Islamists jailed in Roumieh Prison, and the head of the group’s political board, Sheikh Ammar, is meeting with Parliament Speaker Berri.
10:45 Al-Manar reports that Speaker Nabih Berri will not withdraw the draft law on the division of electoral districts in today’s parliamentary session.
10:41 Speaker Nabih Berri meets with the families of Islamists jailed in Roumieh Prison and with the National Gathering for Proportional Representation, both of whom are demonstrating in Nejmeh Square.
10:35 The families of Islamists jailed in Roumieh Prison demonstrate in Nejmeh Square.
10:19 The National Gathering for Proportional Representation demonstrates in Nejmeh Square demanding the adoption of proportionality in the coming parliamentary elections.
09:45 President Michel Sleiman is to visit Qatar on September 1 and New York on September 21.
07:29 intensified contacts between members of March 14 regarding the unification of their position with regards to their opposition against adopting an incomplete electoral law
Monday
23:00 Brigadier General Jean Kahwaji will be agreed upon as the nominee for Army Commander in Thursday's cabinet session according to NOW Lebanon
22:03 The Lebanese army controls a clash between Future Movement and Amal supporters on Mohammad Hout Street in Ras al-Nabaa, Beirut.
20:34 Prime Minister Fouad Siniora holds a press conference after meeting with President Michel Suleiman : Parliament will decide the issue of electoral districts on Tuesday. There is no going back on what was agreed upon at Doha. Any modification of the constitution concerning the rights and powers of the deputy prime minister will alter the existing balance.