Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese newspapers Wednesday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.
As-Safir
Hot issues await Ban’s visit to Lebanon
Wage hike deal awaits ‘scenario’
Cabinet postponed Tuesday a decision on two key issues – wage hikes and administrative appointments - as Cabinet ministers preferred to gain more time until these issues ripened.
As the salary increase issue awaits a legal solution to avoid a veto by the Shura Council and a political scenario engineered by [political leaders] in Ain el-Tineh, the Grand Serail and Rabieh, well-informed sources told As-Safir that a legal-political settlement was nearing its final stages.
The sources said Cabinet was likely to reach a “happy ending” for the matter of wage hikes next week.
However, there are still obstacles facing diplomatic appointments that need to be removed, particularly at the Sunni level as Prime Minister Najib Mikati continues to hold onto certain names.
Sources close to MP Walid Jumblatt denied that sensitive Druze posts were the reason behind the delay in diplomatic appointments, pointing out that embassy posts assigned to Druze candidates were already limited.
Meanwhile, Lebanese officials geared up to discuss hot issues with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who arrives in Beirut on Jan. 13.
Diplomatic sources said Ban would address U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and the need to maintain stability in south Lebanon.
They said the U.N. chief would also discuss border control and the need to curb weapons smuggling across the borders as well as the renewal of a protocol agreement between Lebanon and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
Al-Joumhouria
Watkins seeks Ban-Hezbollah meet... Crucial visit to Libya Wednesday to discuss Sadr case
Days before Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Lebanon, Resident U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Robert Watkins held separate talks with Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Foreign Affairs Minister Adnan Mansour to discuss preparations for U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Lebanon.
Sources told Al-Joumhouria that Watkins had also discussed the prospects of arranging meetings with the largest possible number of Lebanese officials.
They said Watkins would be meeting Lebanese officials in the coming days in an effort to arrange a meeting between Ban and Hezbollah leaders.
Al-Mustaqbal
Future bloc urges government to deal with dangers of Hezbollah campaign against Ban
Syrian President Bashar Assad’s speech Tuesday dominated all domestic issues as the rejectionist leader [Assad] turned pressing issues to marginal one after launching war on Arabs and the world, and even more than that – against his people, vowing to strike with an iron fist.
The Future parliamentary bloc highlighted Tuesday the significance of the visit of U.N. General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon to Lebanon which is “essential to [improving] relations between Lebanon and the United Nations.”
The bloc said the negative stances by certain political forces, particularly Hezbollah, regarding Ban’s visit to Lebanon would not only have a negative impact on Lebanon but would also distort its image.
It urged the government to deal with the dangers of the [Hezbollah-led] campaign and work on solving these threats with the secretary-general of the United Nations.
An-Nahar
Nasrallah speech ... to welcome Ban Ki-moon [to Lebanon]
Preparations ahead of U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Beirut intensified as an ESCWA-organized conference on “Reform and the Transition to Democracy in the Arab world" will be attended by a huge number of prominent Arab and foreign figures.
An-Nahar has learned that Ban will meet with senior Lebanese officials as well as representatives of the opposition March 14 coalition. Sources close to Hezbollah said Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah would deliver a speech Saturday at the end of a Hezbollah-organized rally in Baalbek.
Nasrallah is expected to address internal and external political developments.
He is also likely to touch on Ban’s visit.