Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat announced on Monday that Aley lawmaker Henri Helou remains the Democratic Gathering bloc's candidate for office, rejecting to withdraw the MP's nomination for the sake of “any settlement.”
"Seikh Saad (Hariri) and all of us are keen on electing a president and we remind you that our candidate is Henri Helou,” Jumblat said after holding talks with the former Premier and the head of al-Mustaqbal Movement at the Center House.

Head of the Mustaqbal Movement MP Saad Hariri said on Monday that he "does not mind" extending the parliament's term if the election of a new head of state was not possible.
"We do not want parliamentary polls before electing a new president and if this was not possible, we support extending the parliament's term," Hariri was quoted as saying after holding talks with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat at the Center House.

The Kataeb Party warned on Monday that the extension of parliament's term is aimed at harming the role of the presidency through “indefinitely” maintaining the presidential vacuum in Lebanon.
It said in a statement after its weekly politburo meeting: “The dangerous developments that Lebanon experienced may reoccur if we do not elect a president.”

The Syndicate Coordination Committee announced on Monday that it will continue its boycott of correcting the official exams until the approval of the new wage scale.
Politicians have meanwhile been demanding that teachers correct exams in order to avoid granting students certificates, indicating that they have passed their academic year, as a substitute to the exams.

British Ambassador Tom Fletcher said Monday that it was necessary for rival Lebanese leaders to come together to face rising threats.
“It is a moment of mounting threats to the country and to its people, so it is even more important than ever that Lebanon’s leaders come together in a spirit of tolerance, moderation, and consensus,” said Fletcher following talks with al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri.

A Higher Relief Council delegation headed by Major General Mohammed Kheir headed on Monday to the northeastern town of Arsal to inspect the damage caused by clashes between the Lebanese army and Islamist militants.
“Our visit is to inspect the damage on the field and to prepare a plan to swiftly aid the residents,” Kheir told reporters.

Electricite du Liban contract workers closed on Monday the doors of the company's branches across Lebanon, demanding the full-time employment of all workers.
Head of EDL contract workers committee Lebnan Makhoul said: “Our fate is at stake. We will do all it takes to (press for) our demands, including blocking roads.”

Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji stressed on Monday that the military institution “saved Lebanon from a deadly sectarian rift,” revealing that the Islamist gunmen in the northeastern town of Arsal were preparing for a “tragedy.”
“The battle of Arsal proved that our army is strong and its morale is high as it cut the road on a scheme to change Lebanon and maybe erase it from the world map,” Qahwaji said in an interview with As Safir newspaper.

Speaker Nabih Berri rejected any negotiation with the jihadists who took more than 35 soldiers and policemen captive in the northeastern town of Arsal last week.
In remarks to As Safir newspaper published on Monday, Berri said: “Had Prime Minister Tammam Salam asked for my advice, I would have told him to resort to Qatar and Turkey to resolve this issue.”

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq said on Monday that the latest Saudi grant made to boost the performance of security apparatuses in Lebanon will be deposited in the Central Bank after the cabinet approves it.
“We are currently drafting a formula to approve the grant based on the highest degrees of transparency,” Mashnouq said in comments published in An Nahar newspaper.
