Speaker Nabih Berri has discussed with al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc leader MP Fouad Saniora the political crises gripping the country, As Safir daily reported on Friday.

The newspaper quoted sources as saying that Saniora visited Berri along with Nader Hariri, the adviser of al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri.

Hizbullah secretary-general's political aide Hussein Khalil announced Thursday that Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun can be considered a “consensual” presidential candidate, describing the disagreement between the party and the movement over the extension of parliament's term as a “minor” issue.

“Our meeting today was aimed at reiterating that the relation between Hizbullah and the FPM has surpassed the memorandum of understanding to become an 'existential relation',” said Khalil after meeting Aoun in Rabieh.

The Free Patriotic Movement submitted on Thursday a challenge before the Constitutional Council over the parliament's new term extension.

Change and Reform bloc secretary and FPM member MP Ibrahim Kanaan presented the challenge.

The March 14 alliance's general-secretariat said Wednesday that the extension of parliament's mandate for two years and seven months should not be taken as a principle.

“The extension taking place in institutions can't become a rule. The principle lies in respecting the state and its institutions and swiftly electing a president and approving a new electoral law that would lead to holding the polls,” the general-secretariat said following its weekly meeting.

President of the Constitutional Council Issam Suleiman stressed on Wednesday that members of the council will deal with any challenge against the extension of the parliament's mandate according to norms.

“Any challenge will be discussed in the presence of all the council's members,” Suleiman told reporters in a press conference in response to a question if the council will fail to meet.

The Free Patriotic Movement reiterated on Tuesday its condemnation of the extension of parliament's term, saying that it is a violation of democratic practices in Lebanon.

MP Ibrahim Kanaan said after the Change and Reform bloc's weekly meeting: “The FPM will appeal before the constitutional council the decision to extend parliament's term.”

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun said the extension of parliament’s mandate until June 2017 was aimed at preventing a change in the legislature's majority and revealed that dialogue with al-Mustaqbal movement on the presidential deadlock has stopped.

“The real reason behind the extension is to stop the current (parliamentary) majority from changing and consequently to control the presidential elections,” Aoun told As Safir newspaper in an interview published on Monday.

The Free Patriotic Movement is preparing to challenge the extension of the parliament's mandate, which will come into force on Tuesday.

Sources close to FPM told al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Saturday that the final challenge draft will be ready by Tuesday, when the draft-law will be published in the Official Gazette.

Lawmakers extended on Wednesday the mandate of the parliament until June 2017 amid a boycott by Christian MPs from the Free Patriotic Movement and the representatives of the Kataeb Party in the legislature.

FPM lawmakers from the Change and Reform bloc resorted to boycott while Marada Movement and Tashnag Party representatives in the bloc attended the session. But members of Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh's bloc voted for the extension as Tashnag's two lawmakers voted against it.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun reiterated Tuesday his rejection of the proposed extension of parliament's term, as he noted that Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea's initiative on the parliamentary and presidential polls is not “realistic.”

“It is well-known that we reject extension. However, there are misleading interpretations and the issue is being approached in a wrong manner, as there is nothing called vacuum in the Lebanese state,” said Aoun after the weekly meeting of his Change and Reform parliamentary bloc in Rabieh.