Head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc Fouad Saniora called on Monday on the army to confiscate the arms in the possession of gunmen and impose a curfew in the southern city of Sidon to prevent further deterioration.

“The army must end any armed presence in Sidon, including the Hizbullah-affiliated Resistance Brigades,” Saniora said.

Speaker Nabih Berri considered on Monday that targeting the army is rejected and condemned, describing it as a “treason.”

“The army command has the right to do whatever it sees appropriate to defend the country and prevent anyone from meddling with its security,” Berri said in comments published in An Nahar newspaper.

Head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc, former premier Fouad Saniora, on Friday explained to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov “the dangers” of Hizbullah's involvement in the Syrian war, calling for the withdrawal of the group's fighters.

According to Lebanon's National News Agency, Lavrov received Saniora during the International Economic Forum in Saint Petersburg.

Al-Mustaqbal bloc leader Fouad Saniora has called on Hizbullah to withdraw its “militia” form Syria and urged the deployment of the Lebanese army along Lebanon's border.

During a speech at a graduation ceremony held in the southern city of Sidon on Thursday night, Saniora said: “Hizbullah should pull out its militia from Syria and return the young men of the Bekaa and the South to their homes, villages, businesses and families.”

President Michel Suleiman called on Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam to swiftly form his cabinet as the ongoing vacuum has a negative impact on the situation in the country.

“The situation requires all the political powers to take decisive stances,” Suleiman said according to al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Thursday.

Al-Mustaqbal bloc leader Fouad Saniora called on Monday for the formation of a government of “peaceful” individuals and not “fighters,” and rejected the involvement of Hizbullah in the Syrian war.

“We are keen on exerting every effort to form the new cabinet of peaceful individuals and not fighters,” Saniora said during a ceremony at the Municipality of Sidon.

March 14 alliance leaders have agreed to have a united stance during a meeting of parliament's bureau on Wednesday aimed at discussing the agenda of a parliamentary session set to vote on the extension of the legislature's mandate.

Their deal came during a meeting held on Tuesday night between al-Mustaqbal bloc chief Fouad Saniora, Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan, lawmakers Marwan Hamadeh, Butros Harb, Robert Ghanem and Ahmed Fatfat, and former MP Fares Soaid, who is the March 14 general-secretariat coordinator.

Head of the Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora hoped on Tuesday that political powers would succeed in reaching an agreement over pending disputes linked to the parliamentary elections, including the possible extension of parliament's mandate.

He said after holding talks with Speaker Nabih Berri at Ain el-Tineh: “We have the upcoming hours to reach an agreement over a proposal that enjoys the support of the majority of the factions.”

Speaker Nabih Berri called on Tuesday parliament's bureau to convene on Wednesday morning.

The session will take place at 11:30 a.m.

Speaker Nabih Berri has intensified his contacts with various political powers in order to garner their approval over the extension of parliament's term given their failure to agree on a parliamentary electoral law, said media reports on Friday.

An Nahar daily stated that Berri is seeking to extend the term before the end of May, while parliament's tenure ends on June 19.