The cabinet appointed on Thursday new employees in public administration in a cabinet session haunted by uncertainty over Christian ministers' possible boycotting of ministerial meetings following the expected vacuum in the presidency.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam's government appointed on Thursday afternoon Suzanne al-Khoury Yohanna as director general of civil status at the interior ministry, several media outlets reported.

Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi confirmed on Thursday receiving two Syrian legal notices against Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat and journalist Fares Khashan.

LBCI television reported on Thursday afternoon that Rifi has confirmed receiving the notices from the Criminal Court of the Syrian city of Lattakia.

The Ministry of Interior on Thursday called on Syrian refugees not to stage any political rallies that “might in any way affect security and stability in Lebanon or the relations between Syrian refugees and Lebanese citizens.”

The ministry said the measure is based on “the Lebanese government's stance which insists on neutralizing Lebanon from the ongoing conflict in Syria, and out of keenness on sound relations between Lebanese citizens and Syrian refugees.”

The March 14 General Secretariat condemned on Thursday the parliament's failure to elect a new president following the lack of quorum caused by the March 8 camp's boycott of the session, warning that vacuum in the presidency harms the country's state institutions.

It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: “We will stand against anyone thinking of destroying the constitution or replacing it with another.”

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea lamented on Thursday the political powers' failure to elect a president following the obstruction of quorum for the fourth time by the March 8 alliance.

He said during a press conference: “We must exert efforts with all sides in order to limit the period of presidential vacuum as much as possible.”

Lawmakers once again failed to elect a successor to President Michel Suleiman who will leave Baabda Palace on Sunday with a vacant seat in the country's top Christian post.

The fifth round of the elections on Thursday was similar to its predecessors. The majority of March 8 alliance's MPs boycotted it, claiming that the rival parties should agree on a consensual candidate before heading to parliament to elect a new head of state.

Speaker Nabih Berri hailed on Thursday the resistance that maintained the unity of Lebanon's land, people and institutions, deeming it as a “crucial need.”

“The Resistance is a necessity as long as part of our land remains under occupation and due to the ongoing Israeli violations,” Berri said in a statement issued on the occasion of the Resistance and Liberation day that commemorates the Israeli army’s withdrawal from south Lebanon in May 2000.

An agreement between al-Mustaqbal and the Free Patriotic Movement is reportedly the solution to the controversial presidential deadlock.

According to As Safir newspaper, consultations between the two parties didn't reach any positive results as al-Mustaqbal chief Saad Hariri hasn't yet “openly” agreed to support FPM leader Michel Aoun's candidacy to the presidency.

A meeting that was scheduled to be held between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri was postponed due to the sensitive political situation in Lebanon, Russian sources said.

The talks had been set for Thursday.

The Free Patriotic Movement is mulling to boycott cabinet sessions after the end of President Michel Suleiman's tenure to protest the political arch-foes' failure to elect a successor, media reports said on Thursday.

Sources close to the FPM told al-Akhbar newspaper that the “party is discussing the possibility of boycotting all government sessions after Suleiman's term ends to object the failure to carry out timely presidential polls.”