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Report: Parliamentary Polls Threatened by Constitutional Council Controversy

Doubts are looming over whether the constitutional council that settles parliamentary election disputes and laws is constitutional or not, media reports said on Monday.

According to al-Akhbar newspaper, the tenure of five members of the current constitutional council ended in June last year and the parliament and cabinet, which equally appoint the 10 members of the council, didn't elect new members to replace them.

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Israeli Forces Carry Out Construction Work on Eastern Bank of Wazzani

Israeli bulldozers backed by several army vehicles crossed the technical fence in the South on Monday and carried out construction work in a disputed area, the state-run National News Agency reported.

NNA said the bulldozers and around 25 Israeli soldiers in armored vehicles entered some 10-25 meters into the disputed area on the eastern bank of the Wazzani river and began digging a road and erecting earth mounds.

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Gharib Stresses SCC's Unity as he Calls for 'Historic Day' Tuesday

Head of Public Secondary School Education Teachers Association Hanna Gharib reiterated the solidarity of the Syndicate Coordination Committee as he called for a sit-in near the presidential palace on Tuesday to mark a “historic day” in its wage raise demands.

“The government through its executive authority should refer the wage scale to parliament without hesitation,” Gharib said on Monday at a sit-in that the SCC organized near the industry ministry in Beirut's Adliyeh area.

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LF, Phalange Reject 1960 Law, Insist on Holding Polls

The Lebanese Forces and Phalange parties reiterated their rejection on Monday of adopting the 1960 electoral law that is based on winners-take-all system in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

LF bloc MP George Adwan revealed that the party is seeking to press forward the possibility of holding a parliamentary session to ensure that the 1960 law will not be adopted during the polls set to be held on June 9 and to obstruct attempts to extend the tenure of the current parliament.

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Berri Stresses Security Priority: There Should be a Country for Polls to Take Place

Speaker Nabih Berri hinted on Monday that the parliamentary elections set to be held on June 9 will be postponed as he warned that security and not the polls were a priority.

“Just take a look at the very worrying security situation,” Berri told several local newspapers.

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Charbel: Political Agreement over Security Chaos Facilitated Tasks of Security Forces

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel stressed on Monday that the political consensus over ending the security chaos across the country facilitated the tasks of the security forces to control the situation across the country.

“The law will be implemented with all the available means,” Charbel said in comments to As Safir newspaper.

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Security Forces Foil Attempt to Liberate Prisoner from Tripoli Hospital

Security forces on Sunday foiled an attempt to liberate a prisoner from a hospital in Tripoli, only eight days after gunmen stormed another hospital in the northern city and set free a man under arrest for allegedly being involved in the shooting at Youth and Sports Minister Faisal Karami's convoy.

“Prisoner H. M. slashed parts of his body with a sharp object and after he was rushed to one of the city's hospitals, a group of people arrived and tried to liberate him, prompting security forces to fire in the air to disperse them,” state-run National News Agency reported.

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Asir, Supporters Rally in Central Sidon after Being Prevented from Heading to al-Karameh Roundabout

Islamist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir and his supporters staged a sit-in Sunday at Nejmeh Square in central Sidon after security forces prevented them from heading to al-Karameh roundabout, where the protest was initially scheduled to be held.

The sit-in was held amid strict security measures enforced by the army and the Internal Security Forces, state-run National News Agency reported.

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Georges Abdallah Supporters Protest Postponement of Decision over his Release

Supporters of former militant Georges Abdallah staged a demonstration on Sunday in protest against the decision to postpone a decision on his release.

The protesters staged the demonstration in front of the French Embassy in Beirut.

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Geagea: We Approved Orthodox Gathering Proposal for Sake of Agreeing on New Electoral Law

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea acknowledged that differences within the March 14 camp exist over the parliamentary electoral law, but added they are being resolved.

He said: “We supported the Orthodox Gathering proposal at the electoral subcommittee for the sake of reaching an agreement over an electoral law.”

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