President Michel Suleiman voiced on Monday his support to an initiative proposed by the Phalange party, which focuses on introducing a constitutional amendment, which calls for neutrality and dissociate the country from the conflicts surrounding it.

“The initiative became a necessity during the current developments in the region,” Suleiman said after talks with a Phalage party delegation at the Baabda Palace.

Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam has reportedly proposed to President Michel Suleiman a 14-member cabinet that was strongly criticized by Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat for being a “civil war plan.”

Al-Akhbar newspaper quoted sources as saying that Salam made the proposal during a meeting they held at Baabda palace last week. But when the president informed Jumblat about it, the PSP chief replied: “This is a civil war plan.”

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi revealed on Monday that all political parties were exerting efforts to strike a deal on a hybrid vote law after the four major Christian parties decided to suspend the Orthodox Gathering proposal.

“The hybrid electoral draft-law is everybody's demand,” said al-Rahi at Rafik Hariri International Airport before traveling to France.

The second day of the binding parliamentary consultation kicked off on Saturday morning with the blocs continuing their support for MP Tammam Salam to head a new government.

LBCI television reported that the MP garnered a total of 124 votes by lawmakers to assume the position of prime minister.

Binding consultations for naming a prime minister-designate are likely to result in nearly 60 MPs in favor of the March 14 alliance's candidate, An Nahar daily reported on Thursday as MP Tammam Salam held talks with al-Mustaqbal movement leader Saad Hariri, a sign that he is the coalition's candidate.

The newspaper said that another 58 MPs would come in support of the March 8 camp's nominee while the rest of the lawmakers would not name any PM-designate who will be tasked with forming the new cabinet less than a month after the resignation of Caretaker Premier Najib Miqati.

President Michel Suleiman underwent on Wednesday a scheduled medical check-up at the Clinique du Levant in Mkalles, the presidency said in a statement.

According to the presidential palace, Suleiman, 65, is well and resumed his activity shortly at the Baabda Palace.

Al-Mustaqbal bloc leader Fouad Saniora on Saturday met with President Michel Suleiman before traveling to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with former Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

Saniora held talks with Suleiman at Baabda palace on Saturday morning. He then traveled to Riyadh at the head of a delegation from al-Mustaqbal movement.

President Michel Suleiman set April 5 and 6 as the dates of the consultations to name a new prime minister in Lebanon.

The presidency said in a statement that the binding parliamentary consultations to name a new premier will kick off at the Baabda Palace on Friday, April 5 and end on the next day.

Speaker Nabih Berri said Monday that the national dialogue at Baabda palace has become a necessity after the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Miqati's government.

The resumption of the dialogue has become “urgent and necessary” to study how the parliamentary elections could be held and the new government formed, Berri told As Safir daily.

The Syndicate Coordination Committee slammed officials on Wednesday, accusing them of trying to divide the union amid media reports that five people were injured in a dispute between protesters and security forces near the vehicle registration authority.

“March 21 will be a spring for the union movement in Lebanon,” head of Public Secondary School Education Teachers Association Hanna Gharib told protesters rallying near the Serail of Baabda.