USJ Goes Orange, Wages’ Final Written Answers

Rain poured.

The thirsty land is greeting God's mercy. However, the first rain grace turned for some Lebanese into a disaster as water broke into their homes in the absence of precautionary policies.

This comes as calls continue that winter's rain washes some hearts in the Lebanese political class.

Mikati: Nasrallah left STL Financing Door Open

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced that "he would bring up the Special Tribunal for Lebanon's funding issue into discussion at the appropriate time with the constitutional institutions."

In an interview with BBC, Mikati viewed that the Secretary General of Hizbullah his Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah "never said ‘no' to the tribunal."

"Of course the party has its reservations on the STL, but he left it up to the constitutional institutions to assume their duties in this matter," Mikati pointed out.

Stressing his certainty that Sayyed Nasrallah and Hizbullah are keen on Lebanon and its interests, PM asserted that he isn't to step down if no agreement was reached.

"I did not accept the premiership in order to resign one day. I did so to maintain Lebanon's stability and unity ... and if I failed, then I will take the right decision at the appropriate time," Mikati unveiled.

Addressing his upcoming visit to London on November 7, Mikati refused to talk of Lebanese government‘s isolation noting that "No one can isolate Lebanon because it plays an effective role in the region."

On the Syrian developments in Syria, PM emphasized that Lebanon doesn't take sides in the matter.

"Some sides have long demanded that Lebanon remain neutral and now that it has taken a neutral position, it is being criticized for it," he explained.

Berri: Dialogue without Conditions

Meanwhile, as the country enters "al-Adha" Holiday vacation starting this weekend, Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri reiterated call for "dialogue between the Lebanese parties during the critical stage that the country and the region are passing through."

Warning that the Lebanese as well as regional developments require all the parties to join the national dialogue, Berri informed "an-Nahar" Lebanese daily that this is was the main content of his meeting with "Future" bloc leader MP Fouad Saniora.

"I've told him in the presence of PM Mikati that he can inform me later on about his answer," he stated.

Berri told the daily that he will ask President Michel Suleiman to intervene and "put more effort to push this issue forward."
Commenting about "March 14" conditions to resume the national dialogue, Berri told "an-Nahar" that "dialogue can't go on by imposing conditions, and there are no taboos concerning the issues to be discussed."

Wages Consultations

At another Lebanese concern, Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas uncovered that he was waiting for the answers of all parties who participated in the price index committee meetings on his recommendations on wage increases Friday morning.

"The answers should be written and explicit in accepting or rejecting every point mentioned in the recommendations that were referred to the government," he stressed.

Considering that "those who provide their responses will prove they are serious," Nahhas called "those who refuse to answer to provide alternative solutions."

"It is unacceptable after more than 40 hours of meetings at the price index committee and with all that I have suggested that we end up with being unable to know the stance of each side," the minister told "as-Safir".

The daily reported that Economic Committees met Thursday, renewing their initial stance of restarting dialogue at the price index committee with the attendance of all its members, including representatives of labor unions.

Sources told "as-Safir" that the Economic Committees will inform Nahhas about their decision.

Orange USJ

At another level, Lebanese newspapers devoted a large part of their titles to talk about "Free Patriotic Movement", Hizbullah and Amal sweeping of the elections in the Saint Joseph University in Lebanon.

Under the title, "USJ goes orange: Another Lebanese Force stronghold falls," "al-Akhbar" Lebanese newspaper said that " there in the "Hoeflan" building in the old neighborhood in Beirut, a new ending was settled, Hizbullah became a pole in the USJ."

"Calmly, LF withdrew from the USJ without noise. The University went to Aounists and what is more difficult to LF students is that Hizbullah won the USJ," the paper said.