October rain have overflowed all over Beirut as well as the suburbs and caused traffic jams, namely in Dora, Mazraa and Ouzai regions, besides Nahr El-Kalb tunnel . The Lebanese Reconstruction and Development Council announced its technicians are cleaning drainage systems as a result.
The President of the Republic, Mr. Elias Al-Hrawi, met yesterday in Baabda with the entrusted Prime Minister, Mr. Rafiq Al-Hariri, with whom he discussed the outcome of the last consultations. President Al-Hrawi declared, after the meeting, that the new government would be constituted in few days. He added that each Minister should know how to deal with the problems of his portfolio. He pointed out that we must look forward to the year 2000, and work on resolving the current issues. Stating he, as well as Presidents Al-Hariri and Berreh were doing their best to alleviate people's worries.
President Al-Hariri then visited the President of the Parliament, Mr. Nabih Berreh, and a tripartite meeting was expected later on. On the other hand, before leaving the country, the European Union charge d'affaires, Harold Cool visited yesterday the President of the Republic in Baabda.
The Russian Secretary of State, Mr Yevgeny Primakov arrived yesterday in Beirut and visited first the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where a Lebanese-Russian talks round were held between the two parties, including from Russia, the Foreign Minister himself, his vice-Minister, Mr. Victor Bosovaliok, the Russian ambassador in Lebanon Olig Birbaskin besides other directors in the Ministry, and from Lebanon, Minister Fares Bweiz, the general secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Zafer El-Hassan, the director of political affairs, Mr. Samir Khoury, the acting director of economic affairs Mr. El-Alam, as well many other directors.
At the end of the talks, the two Foreign Ministers held a press conference, in which Bweiz said he discussed with Primakov the general situation in the region, and the peace process which was hindered.
A protocol of economic cooperation between Lebanon and Russia was signed, Bweiz reaffirmed Lebanon's commitment to peace, on the basis of Madrid conference principles, as well as its willingness to resume negotiations.
Mr. Yevgeny Primakov on the other hand supported the Lebanese Minister point of view, but he did not reveal the essence of his suggestions.
Hoping there wouldn't be an Israeli aggression neither against Lebanon nor against Syria, he then noted that the Russian role in the region was complementary to the American one.
At 18:00, the Russian delegation visited the President of the Republic, Mr. Elias Al-Hrawi, along with Minister Bweiz, while the last place in this visit was Qoraytem, where Primakov was received by the Prime Minister, Mr. Rafiq Al-Hariri.
The Vice-President of the Highest Islamic Shiite Council, Mufti Abd El-Amir Qabalan, declared the government policy lacked a minimum of national responsibility in order to deal with Public issues. The way portfolios were now being distributed would wipe out the national consensus.
Qabalan asked all officials to have dialogue with each other, and to put, by learning from the past, a new strategy which would allow all institutions to achieve thoroughly their objectives.
He also pointed that, instead of circulating names, there must be a program of priorities, set forth by the government. In fact the country was in desperate need of qualified, as well as honest people. He called upon Lebanese to work together for the sake of Lebanon.
The Secretary of State, Mr. Fares Bweiz, was visited yesterday by the chief editors head, Mr .Melhem Karam, along with a chinese press delegation from the daily newspaper "The People".
Bweiz reaffirmed the Chinese presence within the Security Council was a guarantee to all countries, namely small ones, since it supported continuously just issues.
Bweiz expected the constitution of the new government during this week, and he said it must review administrative legislations and deal with social issues as a priority.
On the other hand, the general secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs discussed the Lebanese-Japanese relations with Japan's ambassador in Beirut, Yasuji Ichifaki, then he received a Japanese delegation of the International Development Institute, assigned by the Japanese Ministry of Transport to conduct a survey about the current situation, as well as the expected one, with respect to both transport and tourism sectors.
The National Council for Scientific Research started yesterday, in coordination with the Arab Center for Studying Arid Areas and the Friedrich Eipert institution, and under the patronage of the Minister of Hydroelectric Resources, Mr. Elias Hobeiqa, a symposium about water resources data processing.
The general secretary of the National Council for Scientific Research, Dr. Hafez Kobeissi , delivered a speech in which he pointed that the Council considers the water issue as its first priority.
Then, the director of the Arab center for studying Arid Areas, Dr. Hassan Soud, declared the Arab region was in great danger since Israel, with Natanyaho as a Prime Minister, intends to establish the great Israeli state, therefore, all efforts must be put together, especially that the Arab region water deficit would be high by year 2000 .
Minister Hobeiqa then reaffirmed the necessity and importance of water as a vital natural resource. And, since Lebanon is now trying to regain its international place, it is essential to make the best use of its available water resources, by using modern technology.
He added that scientific system is to be adopted, and developed as well, in any further plan or survey. Thus, data processing has been introduced in all departments of the Ministry of Hydroelectric Resources.
Yesterday began the fifth period of the Lebanese football championship. Three games were expected, only two however were held, and the third was postponed, due to the heavy rain which fell 4 minutes after the beginning of the game.
Al-Ansar v/s Achabiba-El Mazraa game may be played again today, while the results of the other games were as follows:
1-El-Bourj v/s Racing (2-0) (at Assafa stadium, goals by Abbas Harb (58th minutes) and Mahmoud Tahhan (69th minutes)
2- Arryada Waladab v/s Attadamoun-Tyre (0-0) (at Tripoli local stadium)
As for today, four games are to be held at 14:45 :
1-Annejmeh v/s Al-Akha-Aley (at Jamal Abd Ennaser stadium)
2-Al-Hekmeh v/s Al-Homenmen (at Saida local stadium)
3-Al-Homenmen v/s Assalam-Zgharta (at Bourj Hammoud local stadium)
4-Assafa v/s Chabab Assahel (at Assafa stadium)
Back to Lebanon.com Local News Wire