Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun launched on Saturday a scathing attack against Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji, accusing him of serving the interests of politicians instead of those of the nation.

He declared after an extraordinary meeting of the Change and Reform bloc: “Qahwaji has politicized the army and we warn him against placing the military in confrontation with the people.”

The extension of the terms of security officials has been welcomed by members of the field, who ruled out the possibility of escalation over the development, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Saturday.

Security sourced told the daily that they “did not sense any popular sentiment” that may drive the people to the street over the extension.

Hizbullah has reportedly requested that its lawmakers refrain from making statements to the media on the recent extension of the term of security officials, said al-Joumhouria on Saturday.

It said that head of the party's Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammed Raad will announce Hizbullah's stance on Sunday.

Several top diplomats have advised Lebanese officials to avoid moves that would hit the country's stability over a dispute on the appointment of top military and security officials, local newspapers reported on Friday.

Al-Joumhouria daily said that the diplomats, mainly U.S. Ambassador David Hale and Russia's Ambassador Alexander Zasypkin, delivered messages to several Lebanese officials on “the importance of respecting the current stability and not to involve the country in any adventure whose repercussions are not known.”

The Free Patriotic Movement of MP Michel Aoun was on Friday holding intense consultations to come up with a strategy to confront a decision by Defense Minister Samir Moqbel to extend the terms of top military officials.

Aoun's Change and Reform bloc is expected to announce its official stance following an extraordinary meeting in Rabieh on Saturday.

Defense Minister Samir Moqbel has extended the terms of the Army commander, the chief of staff and the head of the Higher Defense Council, a move that is expected to draw the anger of Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun.

Moqbel took the decision to make the one-year extension late Wednesday after the cabinet failed to resolve the controversial issue of the appointment of high-ranking military and security officials.

The Free Patriotic Movement has reportedly made an initiative to resolve the dispute on the appointment of high-ranking military and security officials as the cabinet, which is set to discuss the matter this week, is expected to fail to appoint a new miltiary chief of staff.

An Nahar daily said Monday that the proposal was made by FPM chief MP Michel Aoun during his meeting with Defense Minister Samir Moqbel last week.

Speaker Nabih Berri has revealed that he would not vote for Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun for considering him and the parliament illegitimate over the extension of its term last year.

In remarks to As Safir daily published on Monday, Berri expressed surprise at Aoun's continued insistence to consider the parliament illegitimate while at the same time expecting it to elect him as president.

The former chief of the Kataeb Party Amin Gemayel accused Hizbullah and its ally the Free Patriotic Movement of crippling the functioning of the government through their tactics, saying that the paralysis of the state ends with an initiative on their part, reported the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat on Sunday.

He told the daily: “Some sides are pushing the country towards suicide through their efforts to empty state institutions.”

The government failed on Thursday to agree on measures to manage the country's waste crisis, which Prime Minister Tammam Salam blamed on the political conflict as he issued a veiled warning that he could resort to resignation if the deadlock on several issues continued.

Information Minister Ramzi Jreij said following the session that was chaired by Salam at the Grand Serail that the PM described the country's environmental situation as a “disaster.”