DAILY SCOPE: Municipal Elections on Time, Internet Scandal Rolling

Local Editor

NEWSPAPERS' HEADLINES:

AS-SAFIR:

Internet and Camera Scandals: Islands, Statelets and Cover Up!

AN-NAHAR:

Franjieh to An-Nahar: Myself or Someone Else, What Matters is the Country

AL-AKHBAR:

Army Postpones Procrastinating Municipal Elections

AL-BINAA:

Obama and Salman Fail in Drawing Roadmap for Wars, Settlements

AL-BINAA:

Resolve on Holding Legislative Session, US Official to Beirut to Monitor Applying Sanctions on Hizbullah

Lebanese newspapers on Thursday discussed several domestic issues including the ongoing investigations in the internet scandal, the municipal elections that will take place on time and the visit of Lebanon's Premier to New York to take part in the climate pact ceremonies. The dailies also followed up on the different regional and international matters.

AL-JOMHOURIA: Salam in NY for Climate Pact, Internet Scandal Investigations Ongoing

Sources told al-Jomhouria Lebanese daily on Thursday that the Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam will travel today to New York to take part in the ceremonies held at the UN headquarters that is aimed at signing the climate change pact.

Salam is expected to give a speech at Friday's ceremony, which will be attended by envoys from some 160 countries. The pact was adopted by the world countries in principle in December 2015 in Paris.

On another note, al-Jomhouria reported that head of the Future party Saad Hariri left Beirut a few days ago without making the news public. Hariri, according to the paper, visited Riyadh where he met a number of Saudi top leaders and discussed the latest domestic, regional, and international developments as well as the outcome of the consultations in several capitals following King Salman bin Abdul Aziz's visit to Cairo and then to Turkey where he participated in the summit held by the Islamic Cooperation Organization.

As for the municipal elections, sources from the Interior Ministry assured that the elections will take place on time, fending off all rumors that say there are security or political reasons that will lead to the rescheduling of the elections. Moving on to the internet scandal file, well-informed sources told al-Jomhouria newspaper that the investigations in the internet file is focused on revealing how the equipment entered Lebanon, especially that these were not smuggled but rather were allowed in the country through regular means.

AN-NAHAR: Myself or Someone Else....What Matters in the Country

Head of the Marada party MP Suleiman Franjieh wondered whether the paralysis of the parliament would speed up the election of a president, asking "What would Christians gain if legislation was paralyzed?"

In remarks to An-Nahar newspaper, Franjieh summed up his thoughts in the phrase "myself or someone else, what matters is the country."

Moreover, the MP said he does not consider head of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun as his rival in terms of the country's top Christian post, noting "His circumstances are different that mine."

Franjieh and Aoun, both from the March 8 camp are the main candidates for the presidential post that has been vacant since the term of President Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014.

AL-AKHBAR: Municipal Elections will Take Place on Time

A high-ranking military official told al-Akhbar newspaper on Thursday that the political authorities in Lebanon as well as the security apparatuses are ready to pave the way for the municipal elections that must take place on time.

A military official assured to al-Akhbar newspaper that protecting the election polls will not affect the army's units fighting in the Eastern mountain chains including Arsal and its outskirts.

"If any side would like to run away and not take part in the elections then they can file a request to the cabinet," the source said, reassuring that nothing can hamper the process.

Source: al-Ahed News