Lebanon PM praises Saudi King's call to support Arab finance

Lebanon's Prime Minister, Najib Mikati Lebanon's Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, Tuesday emphasised priority for holding forthcoming parliamentary elections on schedule, hoping that an electoral law which represents the various views and aspirations of Lebanon's political spectrum would be reached.
Mikati's words came at the beginning of a cabinet session, which convened Tuesday afternoon at the Grand Serail under his chairmanship, to look into 39-items on agenda, as said by the cabinet's spokesperson, minister Walid Daouk.
Mikati noted that "the draft law - which was approved by the government and forwarded to the House of Parliament - represents a valid ground for constructive discussion," Daouk said after the session.
  The Lebanese government has proposed an electoral law based on proportional representation and 13 electorates.
Briefing the cabinet on his meetings in Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit, Mikati said his talks with Saudi Crown Prince Salman tackled "the government's policy towards the developments in the region, especially in Syria," adding that Prince Salman and Saudi King Abdullah understand Lebanon's position.
He also praised the Saudi King's initiative to support the Arab financial institutions to help the region getting over the global economic crisis.
Turning to the issue of civil marriage, Mikati said "We do not want to delve into futile debates at these circumstances where we need to bring together positions by the Lebanese and common words."
"This topic [civil marriage] is not on the agenda at the current time," Mikati said.
President Michel Sleiman on Sunday expressed support for a law allowing civil marriages, currently illegal in Lebanon, saying it will help build unity in the multi-faith country.
"We should work on drafting a civil marriage law. It is a very important step in eradicating sectarianism and solidifying national unity," Sleiman wrote in Arabic and English on his Facebook page.
On the attack against Youth and Sports Minister, Faisal Karami, last week, Mikati congratulated him on his safety and well-being, and hailed the wise and far-sighted position by former Prime Minister Omar Karami in the wake of said attack which helped in aborting strife and preserving security in Tripoli.
"The Cabinet approved all measures that would reinforce security in Tripoli and the remaining Lebanese regions, through the adoption of swift field actions and comprehensive security measures," Daouk said to reporters in a press brief after the cabinet session.