Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun is expected to announce on Sunday an important stance from the controversial military and security appointments and his possible boycott of the national dialogue.

Aoun is set to give a speech during a ceremony that will be held on the occasion of handing over the Free Patriotic Movement leadership to his son-in-law Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil.

Efforts exerted by Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat to resolve the cabinet crisis linked to the appointment of high-ranking military and security officials have reached a dead-end, An Nahar daily reported on Wednesday.

The newspaper said that a proposal made by Jumblat to promote a few army officers, including Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz, from brigadier-general to the rank of major-general has been rejected by several Lebanese officials and the army leadership.

Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat is exerting efforts to resolve the army appointments crisis by trying to appease Change and Reform bloc leader lawmaker Michel Aoun and other parties through the promotion of only three army officers, al-Akhbar daily reported on Tuesday.

The newspaper said that Jumblat has tasked Health Minister Wael Abou Faour to hold contacts and meetings to assess whether the promotion of the three officers, including Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz, is acceptable.

Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun is mulling to boycott the second national dialogue session that is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, An Nahar newspaper reported.

Aoun is studying his options, a Free Patriotic Movement official, who was not identified, told the daily.

As eyes gaze at Wednesday's dialogue session that is set to bring rival politicians together to discuss pressing issues, mainly the presidential deadlock, sources of the March 8 alliance have dimmed the hopes on its outcome as they say they are adamant to elect MP Michel Aoun “and no other,” or hold early parliamentary elections.

Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement head to the dialogue session with a “unified stance” to either consensually elect the Change and Reform bloc chief, Aoun, as head of the state or kick off parliamentary elections that will later elect a president, well informed March 8 sources told Asharq al-Awsat daily.

The approval of a proposal made by Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb to resolve the country's waste crisis is facing a condition set by several parties on the promotion of army officers, An Nahar daily reported on Tuesday.

The newspaper said that Shehayyeb's proposal requires a cabinet session. But the Free Patriotic Movement, Hizbullah and the Tashnag Party have conditioned the activation of the government's work to the approval of the promotion of around 12 officers from brigadier-general to the rank of major-general.

The Free Patriotic Movement staged another motorized protest on Wednesday to mobilize supporters ahead of Friday's downtown Beirut demonstration.

The convoys gathered outside the Mirna Chalouhi Center in Sin el-Fil before roaming several towns and villages in the Metn region.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun stressed on Tuesday the “rightful” demands being made by civil society protesters over the political reality in Lebanon, adding that he had objected to corruption in the country years ago.

He added however: “We have questions over those who are mobilizing the demonstrators.”

Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun reiterated on Friday his call for the election of a president from the people as he announced his backing for protests, but said he only partly agreed with anti-government demonstrators who accuse the entire political class of corruption.

During a press conference he held at his residence in Rabieh, Aoun also invited the supporters of his Free Patriotic Movement to carry out a protest next Friday “to ask for reform and for participation in decision-making, and to call for fighting corruption.”

Speaker Nabih Berri has said that he urged Prime Minister Tammam Salam to procrastinate in calling for a cabinet session to “give a chance for reconciliation” among the bickering parties.

Berri's press office said Thursday that he telephoned Salam asking him to wait before inviting the government to convene to give a chance to consultations after Free Patriotic Movement, Hizbullah, Marada Movement and Tashnag party ministers boycotted the session.