Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea blasted Hizbullah on Thursday for allegedly targeting the country’s democracy saying Lebanon’s problems would not be solved without a solution to the Shiite party’s arms.
“We are living today in a state of emergency and have a problem given the presence of an armed party” that cripples “democratic work,” Geagea told a visiting delegation from the Popular University in Batroun.

The circles of Premier-designate Najib Miqati have stressed that reports about a final deal on the cabinet lineup were aimed at luring him into taking certain stances.
The circles told several Beirut dailies that Miqati will not be influenced by the reports and will continue his consultations with the involved parties to reach the desired results.
Full StoryFrance warned the Lebanese from the risk of the absence of a government in a letter delivered by French ambassador to Lebanon Denis Pietton to both Speaker Nabih Berri and Premier-designate Najib Miqati on Wednesday.
After his talks with Miqati, Pietton expressed his country’s concern over the unstable Lebanese situation amid Arab revolutions.

The formation of the new government is still awaiting major agreement on the entire line-up despite a preliminary consensus on retired Internal Security Forces Maj. Gen. Marwan Charbel to lead the interior ministry, Baabda palace sources said.
President Michel Suleiman’s visitors told An Nahar newspaper in remarks published Thursday that all sides have a serious intention to end the cabinet deadlock but warned that consultations are carried out to reach agreement on the entire lineup, which means that any snag could further delay the formation of the cabinet.

Premier-designate Najib Miqati’s government might witness light over the weekend after agreement was reached on granting the controversial interior ministry portfolio to retired Internal Security Forces Maj. Gen. Marwan Charbel.
Media reports said Thursday that President Michel Suleiman approved to grant the portfolio to Charbel who was among the list of names that Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun had agreed on.
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid denied that he had information about the possible formation of the new government in the next 24 hours, hoping that the parties would speed up the process.
“We have to speed up the cabinet formation and to take into consideration the repercussions of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and other issues,” Jumblat said in remarks published in newspapers on Thursday.

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare has reached new leads in his investigation that accuses Syrian officials of involvement in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s 2005 assassination, sources in The Hague told Naharnet.
They said Bellemare put his new information in the amended indictment that he filed to pre-trial judge Daniel Fransen last week.

Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati held talks Wednesday at his residence in Verdun with caretaker Energy and Water Minister Jebran Bassil, Speaker Nabih Berri's political aide MP Ali Hassan Khalil and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's political aide Hussein Khalil.
The quadrilateral meeting managed to achieve some progress concerning the cabinet formation process, Free Patriotic Movement's mouthpiece OTV reported. "But that does not mean that the cabinet will see light soon despite the positive atmospheres," the TV station noted.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon prosecutor’s spokeswoman, Sophie Boutaud de la Combe, stated on Wednesday that the new elements added by Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare to the indictment in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri does not mean that what had initially been sent was not good or sufficient.
She told al-Balad newspaper in remarks to be published on Thursday that Bellemare took the decision based on the course the investigation had taken and not at a request by Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen.

A security official revealed that Syria is “exerting great pressure on Beirut to prevent displaced Syrians from entering Lebanon,” reported UK’s the Guardian on Tuesday.
It also urged Lebanese authorities to halt alleged arms smuggling to Syrian protesters where the demonstrations have taken on the form of a sectarian rebellion, and not a revolution similar to others that had taken place in the Arab world, it added.
