Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi urged the rival March 8 and 14 alliances on Thursday to officially announce the name of their presidential candidates and elect a new head of state.

“It is a shame that the presidential vacuum crossed the one-year mark,” al-Rahi told a delegation from the Maronite League that visited him in Bkirki.

Economic Committees gathered Thursday and gave a shout-out against the deteriorating economic conditions in Lebanon urging for a quick resumption of the state institutions' activity mainly the presidency.

The gathering, which was held in BIEL and named June 25 Call, meant to urge all politicians to shoulder their responsibility and avoid what the head of the Beirut Merchants Association Nicolas Shammas called as “national suicide.”

Prime Minister Tammam Salam is giving negotiations a chance before calling for a cabinet session even if the rival parties do not reach an agreement, Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas said Thursday.

“Salam is still giving a chance (for the different parties) to reach a certain solution,” Derbas told al-Liwaa daily.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun is holding consultations with top FPM officials to garner backing for his son-in-law Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil to head the movement, officials said.

The officials, who were not identified, told al-Mustaqbal newspaper published on Thursday that Bassil will be elected as FPM leader on September 20.

The head of the Association of Banks in Lebanon, Francois Bassil, has said the ABL will participate in a conference organized by the Economic Committees on Thursday to shed light on the severe repercussions of the political crisis on the country's economy.

Bassil told An Nahar daily published Wednesday that although the banking sector is functioning properly, the ABL will take part in the conference that will be held in BIEL.

Contacts between Bkirki and officials from the Free Patriotic Movement, the Lebanese Forces and the Marada Movement are expected to be activated this week in an attempt to resolve the presidential deadlock.

An Nahar daily said Wednesday that Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan is planning to hold separate talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, LF chief Samir Geagea and Marada leader MP Suleiman Franjieh.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam is setting the agenda of a cabinet session that he intends to chair next week following an agreement with Speaker Nabih Berri, An Nahar daily reported on Tuesday.

The newspaper said that Salam's move comes amid the launching of consultations to hold an extraordinary parliamentary session.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam has given ministers a one-week grace period and will likely invite the cabinet to convene early next month to resolve the government deadlock.

Ministerial sources told An Nahar daily published on Monday that Salam will “definitely” call for a cabinet session on July 2 to resolve several weeks of government paralysis.

The student departments of the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement held an unprecedented meeting on Sunday during which they agreed to abide by “the approach of dialogue.”

The meeting at the Beithania center in Harissa witnessed a surprise visit by LF leader Samir Geagea.

Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi stated on Saturday that the on-going cabinet obstruction by Hizbullah and Free Patriotic Movement chief Michel Aoun jeopardize Lebanon's fate.

“The prolonged disruption carried out by Hizbullah and its allies reflect on the work regularity of the state institutions, and imperil the fate of Lebanon,” stressed Rifi in a press interview.