Interior Minister Marwan Charbel reiterated his warning on Friday that parliamentary elections would not be held on time if political differences among different factions remain.

In remarks to al-Joumhouria newspaper, Charbel said his warning stemmed from divisions among the different parties on an electoral draft-law.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Thursday slammed any hybrid electoral law that mixes proportional representation and the winner-takes-all system, criticizing the government for “distancing itself from everything.”

“The entire Lebanese entity is suffering and today you are demanding your rights (new wage scale), but our eye is on the country as a whole,” said Aoun during a ceremony held by FPM's teachers to commemorate Teacher's Day.

Energy Minister Jebran Bassil listed on Thursday a number of violations or “acts of theft” committed against Christians in Lebanon, while stressing that the parliamentary elections will not be held based on the 1960 law.

He said during a press conference: “There is an attempt to naturalize Palestinians in Lebanon and later Syrian refugees in Lebanon.”

President Michel Suleiman stated on Thursday that possible security dangers should not hinder the staging of the parliamentary elections, because these dangers will be more severe should the polls not be held and the term of the current parliament be extended.

He said: “There is a 95 percent chance that the elections will be held, but not according to the 1960 law.”

Airport security succeeded on Thursday in thwarting smuggling attempts from Lebanon to Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

It first thwarted an attempt to smuggle 3,430,000 counterfeit Saudi Riyals to the kingdom.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi was elected Thursday as one of three cardinals who will serve as assistants to Vatican number two Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the camerlingo or chamberlain who will be "interim pope" until a successor to Benedict XVI is found.

The three cardinals were elected for a three-day mission related to the preparations that will preceed the conclave that will elect the new pope.

The Health Ministry announced on Thursday that a truck smuggling medication from Turkey has been seized in the Bekaa.

It said that the Internal Security Forces had stopped the truck at a checkpoint near the Bekaa town of Zahleh where it discovered its load.

Head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammed Raad defended on Thursday Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour's remarks on Syria Wednesday, saying that they adhere to the Lebanese government's policy of disassociation.

He said in a statement: “His statements accurately reflect Lebanon's official stance on Syria.”

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour pointed out on Thursday that his speech at a meeting of Arab foreign ministers held in Cairo was chosen carefully by him, stressing that he is keen to preserve Lebanon's best interest.

“I will not hesitate in saying my opinion frankly... If some officials have some matters they want to settle with me, then I'm ready,” Mansour told reporters after arriving at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International airport returning from Egypt.

Head of the Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea stressed on Wednesday the need to hold the parliamentary elections on time, announced the LF in a statement Thursday.

It said that the two officials agreed that the “best electoral law at the moment is a hybrid law” that combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems.