Berri Succeeds in Reconciliation, Suleiman Urges Dialogue

Zeinab Essa

As the fog surround the international dark scene, the Middle East region swings between both sides: war and settlement.

On the Syrian front, it appears that the international players began reading the Syrian alphabet mentioning that the stability of the regime remains to prove strength day after day.

In this context, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Davutoglu played the Russian symphony of rejecting military intervention against Damascus.

This comes as the US is sending messages of truce towards Iran keeping in mind the high prices of any military choice the least to be high oil prices, the closure of Hormuz Strait and hit of US interests in the Gulf.

In Lebanon, it seems that the international hot files withdrew for the sake of local livelihood concerns:

The must to be blessed cold winter days are turning into curses on Lebanese people.

Electricity severe cut and diesel scandals drove the Lebanese government to rush into tackling the long corrupted administrative issues ahead of all previously scheduled titles.

Gov't Approves Metn Electricity Lines

The Lebanese government approved Wednesday proposal by Energy Ministry to resume the installation of high-voltage electricity lines in the Metn area of Mansouriyeh.

After the session, Information minister Walid al-Daouq informed reports that "the government is to resume its discussions on the issue of electricity and the draft state budget in its coming Tuesday meeting."

"An Nahar" Lebanese daily reported Thursday that "that the power crisis was raised according to the item on the council of ministers' table and on the request of Energy ministry to complete the high- voltages lines in Metn."

"The dangerousness of underground high- voltages line is much more greater than being above ground, and the proportion of dangerous radiation from these electricity lines is ten times less than that of cell phone radiation," "an-Nahar" reported.

Red Diesel: Scandal or No

Meanwhile, another hot topic was discussed at Wednesday's governmental session: withholding red diesel and then selling at a high rate at the end of the subsidy period.
 
According to "as-Safir" Lebanese daily, Energy Minister Jibran Bassil presented a report to council of ministers concerning the scandal.

"The oil refineries that are being accused of corruption and making illicit gains should be rewarded because they sold red diesel at a total amount that is less than what is allowed for and not more as is being rumored," Bassil stressed.

In an interview with "as-Safir", he clarified that "by doing so, these establishments have returned LL3 billion in profits to the Treasury."

The minister further called "judicial agencies to announce the results of their probe to find out whether the oil refineries were guilty or not so that they could either be held accountable or compensated."

In parallel, head of the government's Accountability Bureau Aouni Ramadani told "as-Safir" that "the bureau is serious in following up the fuel oil case, and will not rest until all the circumstances and facts are revealed."

Unveiling that "the investigation will be finalized in 10 days," he asserted that "no one would receive immunity or political cover if convicted."
 
"We will also question the consumer protection program within the Economy Ministry and find out why it did not perform its role in controlling prices during the subsidy period," Ramadani added.
 
At another level, Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri succeeded Wednesday in reconciling between MPs of parliament's Finance and Budget Committee.

Suleiman Urges Dialogue

This came as sources close to Baabda Palace informed "al-Joumhouria" newspaper that "President Michel Suleiman is adamant about doing all he can to ensure the resumption of national dialogue."

"Suleiman will soon launch talks with the various political forces in the opposition and the majority in an effort to reach a shared vision that would lead to resuming the dialogue," presidential sources told the daily.

Noting that "the president is open to all ideas," the sources said that "he did not mind holding bilateral meetings with the various parties, but on condition that these meetings bring all the rival forces to the dialogue table."


Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org