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Miqati Not Worried Over Cabinet Fate

Prime Minister Najib Miqati denied on Wednesday that the cabinet is under threat saying there is full solidarity among ministers despite a postponement of a session on the electricity crisis to September 7.

Following talks with Speaker Nabih Berri at the parliament, Miqati said the atmosphere of the government session held at Baabda palace was good.

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Parliament Session Postponed over Cabinet’s Absence

Parliament session was postponed on Wednesday because of the lack of quorum and the cabinet’s failure to attend it.

Only 52 MPs made it to the session and minister Nicolas Fattoush served as the only government representative.

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Mirza Will Submit to STL Three Relevant Files to Hariri Murder

General Prosecutor Saeed Mirza will submit to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon the relevant files of the attacks against former ministers Marwan Hamadeh and Elias al-Murr and the assassination of ex-Lebanese Communist Party leader Georges Hawi.

Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen as ruled that the three attacks are linked to the 2005 murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

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Bassil, Abou Faour Bicker on Technical Team, Authorities of Energy Minister

Energy Minister Jebran Bassil has stressed that cabinet ministers have no longer excuses to reject a $1.2 billion electricity plan after he provided answers to the contentious clauses of the project.

“Everything has become clear,” Bassil said in remarks to As Safir daily published Wednesday.

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Jumblat Rejects Any Blackmail ‘Even if it Destabilizes the Alliance’

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said on Wednesday that his ministers are expecting further explanations to elude any doubts they have on the electricity draft law.

The draft law proposed by MP Michel Aoun and backed by his son-in-law Energy Minister Jebran Bassil calls for earmarking $1.2 billion to the minister to build plants that would produce 700 Megawatts of electricity.

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Cabinet Session Postponed as Ministers Fail Again to Agree on Electricity Project

A cabinet session aimed at discussing a controversial electricity plan was postponed to September 7 after ministers failed again to agree on the allocation of $1.2 billion to Energy Minister Jebran Bassil.

President Michel Suleiman and Premier Najib Miqati held closed door talks ahead of the session at Baabda palace. Later, Ministers Bassil, Mohammed Fneish and Ali Hassan Khalil joined them.

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Abdullah Meets Hariri for 1st Time Since Cabinet Collapse

Saudi King Abdullah held talks with former Lebanese Premier Saad Hariri, the first meeting between the two since the collapse of Hariri’s cabinet in January.

Hariri’s meeting with Abdullah was held at al-Safa Palace in Mecca. The discussion continued over an Iftar banquet thrown by the king, in the presence of a number of senior Saudi officials, the former prime minister’s press office said Tuesday.

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Mustaqbal Says Hizbullah 'Put Itself in Accusation Circle by Protecting Suspects'

The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday said Hizbullah’s leadership “has put itself in the circle of accusation by protecting the suspects” indicted by the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the murder case of former premier Rafik Hariri.

In a statement issued after its weekly meeting at the Center House, the bloc slammed what it called Hizbullah’s “arrogant approach.”

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Lassa Cleric Attacker Roaming Freely in Town under Eyes of the State

The situation in Lassa is expected to escalate in light of an attack against a clergyman, Antoine Hakim, last week and the state’s failure to apprehend the attacker even though he is roaming the town freely, reported the Central News Agency on Tuesday.

March 14 General Secretariat coordinator Fares Soaid told the news agency that the residents of the town are awaiting “strict measures” from the Lebanese state against the attacker, “whose identity and whereabouts are known.”

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Aoun: Govt. May Collapse but Our Dignity Will Remain Intact

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun stated on Tuesday that society is not aware of the size of our efforts in government.

He said after the Change and Reform bloc’s weekly meeting: “We are working within a political society that has had shortcomings in dealing with its duties.”

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