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March 14: Miqati to Face Scandal if Electricity Bill’s Amendments Not Approved

The opposition March 14 forces said Premier Najib Miqati will face a “scandal” if the amendments proposed by their lawmakers to the electricity draft law were not approved.

High-ranking March 14 sources told An Nahar daily on Wednesday that the opposition is adamant to introduce the amendments to the bill to be in harmony with the original draft law that was approved by Miqati’s cabinet on Sept. 7.

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Battle of Quorum in Parliament Decides Fate of Electricity Bill

The March 8 forces are working head over heels to guarantee a quorum of 65 MPs in a parliamentary session set to discuss the electricity project on Thursday, An Nahar daily reported.

The newspaper said that the opposition lawmakers are mulling to withdraw from the session to prevent the necessary quorum as an objection to the failure to approve the amendments that they are calling for to guarantee greater transparency in the implementation of the $1.2 billion plan.

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Berri Urges Officials to Focus on People’s Demands, Halt Aggravating Acts

Speaker Nabih Berri said on Wednesday that some officials are carrying out aggravating actions against each other instead of bearing in mind the people’s interests.

“I call on all the political powers, March 8 forces and March 14-led opposition, to work on providing the Lebanese people with their livelihood demands,” Berri told An Nahar newspaper.

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Al-Rahi, Ignatius IV: Only a Just State Can Protect Everyone

Only a state built upon justice and equality is capable of protecting all of its citizens, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi and Ignatius IV Hazim, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, said Tuesday.

In a joint statement issued after a closed-door meeting and a dinner banquet at the HQ of the Greek Orthodox patriarchate in Balamand, the two Christian leaders also “stressed their rejection of the notion of ‘protection’ for any group, from whichever side it may come.”

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Suleiman Says Beirut Will Host Investment Conference on Libya

President Michel Suleiman has announced that he agreed with Libyan officials that a conference to encourage investment in Libya will be held in Beirut on Nov. 24.

Suleiman made the announcement in New York on Tuesday as he participated in a high-ranking meeting on Libya that was attended by top officials including U.S. President Barack Obama.

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Mustaqbal Blames Surge in Security Incidents on 'Culture of Arms'

The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday voiced concerns over “the recurrence of security incidents” in the country.

In a statement issued after its weekly meeting, the bloc said it discussed “the surge in security incidents, such as the latest atrocious crime against the peaceful family of Ali al-Hajj Dib in the Ras al-Nabaa area, and other daily incidents involving the use of firearms.”

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Aoun: Mustaqbal Bloc Seeking to Sabotage State Functioning

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun accused on Tuesday the Mustaqbal bloc of seeking to obstruct the state’s functioning, labeling its members as “liars and hypocrites.”

He said after the Change and Reform bloc’s weekly meeting: “They all make personal attacks. This is defamation and not tackling the problem.”

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Hundreds Rally in Beirut for Palestinian U.N. Bid

More than 2,000 demonstrators gathered outside the United Nations' offices in Beirut on Tuesday in a show of support for a Palestinian bid to secure full U.N. membership.

"We are here to show our support for Palestine's right to be recognized as a state, a right that is stipulated by international law," said Kazem Hassan, one of the organizers of the joint rally by Lebanese and Palestinians.

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Parliament to Convene Thursday to Address Electricity Law

Speaker Nabih Berri called parliament to session on Thursday in order for it to address various pending issues, including the electricity file.

He also called on the joint parliamentary committees to convene on Wednesday in order to tackle the electricity draft law.

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Qassem: March 14 Actions Serve U.S.-Israeli Project

Hizbullah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem accused the March 14 forces on Tuesday of acting in a way that serves the U.S.-Israeli project.

“I don’t like to mention much what the March 14 group is doing as a conspiracy,” Qassem told Iran’s Fars news agency. “But it acts in a way that whether willingly or unwillingly serves the Israeli-American project.”

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