Mustaqbal MP Ahmed Fatfat lashed out at the Orthodox Gathering electoral draft law, considering that it produces an assembly for the “nation and not a parliament.”

“Representing all the sects is very important, but partnership is more crucial,” Fatfat said after holding talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in Bkirki on Saturday.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani hoped on Saturday that officials would succeed in reaching an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law.

He said: “We hope that they agree on a law that meets the people's aspirations and offers real representation at parliament.”

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel revealed that he will head to Doha on Tuesday to discuss with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalid al-Thani, the case of the abducted Lebanese pilgrims in Syria's Aazaz.

“I will discus with the Qatari interior minister the case of the remaining nine abductees and the role that his country can play to release the men,” Charbel said in comments to Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) on Saturday.

The Syndicate Coordination Committee announced on Friday that it will hold a general strike on January 16 to pressure the government to approve the new wage scale and refer it to parliament, reported the daily al-Mustaqbal on Saturday.

It said in a statement after a meeting: “The gatherers hold Prime Minister Najib Miqati responsible for the employees' resorting to strikes and demonstrations, as well the obstruction of the academic year.”

A Progressive Socialist Party delegation aimed at discussing party leader MP Walid Jumblat's initiative to resume national dialogue held talks on Friday with the Tashnaq Party, reported An Nahar daily Saturday.

Tashnag MP Hagop Pakradounian said after the talks: “There can be no substitute for national dialogue.”

President Michel Suleiman will head the Lebanese delegation at a Kuwaiti summit for donor countries, which will be held at the end of January, reported the Kuwaiti al-Anba daily on Saturday.

An official Lebanese source told the daily that the decision was made soon after the Lebanese government approved a plan to tackle the case of refugees heading to Lebanon from Syria.

The Christian summit at Bkirki on Friday was “positive”, with bilateral contacts being held between the Lebanese Forces and Free Patriotic Movement preceding the talks, reported al-Akhbar newspaper on Saturday.

It added that the statement that followed the meeting was issued “by Bkirki and not the gatherers,” revealing that this will not be the last Christian summit.

Phalange Party MP Sami Gemayel restated his party's rejection of the 1960 electoral law, and reiterated approval of the Orthodox Gathering electoral draft law proposal, An Nahar daily said Saturday.

“We fully back the Orthodox Gathering draft proposal,” said Gemayel.

A statement issued by Bkirki after a Christian summit on Friday called for agreeing on an electoral law that secures fair and just representation for all Lebanese communities.

"The participants in the summit were Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel and Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh,” the statement said, remarking that Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea was absent for security reasons.

The cafeteria at the Lebanese University's Hadath branch was closed on Friday due to the various violations being committed there, reported the National News Agency.

The violations included the selling of waterpipes in violation of the non-smoking law imposed in the country.