The March 8 camp held talks on Wednesday at Speaker Nabih Berri's residence at Ain el-Tineh in order to coordinate their stances ahead of the binding parliamentary consultations later this week.

Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh said after the talks: “We will head to the consultations with a united position over a new prime minister-designate.”

Lawmakers representing the March 8 alliance called on Wednesday on Speaker Nabih Berri to hold a parliamentary session for the approval of the so-called Orthodox Gathering draft-law.

“The March 8 parliamentary blocs insist on holding the elections on time based on a law other than the 1960 law,” Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan told reporters at the parliament in Beirut's Nijmeh Square.

March 8 coalition lawmakers considered on Tuesday the signing of the electoral decree a “black day” in the history of legislation, stressing that it will not be approved by the parliament.

“We reject the adoption of the 1960 law... It will not be approved” by the parliament, Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan, who is loyal to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, told reporters gathered at the parliament.

The joint parliamentary committees voted on Monday on the first article of the Orthodox Gathering's draft electoral law, increasing the number of MPs to 134, MTV reported.

LBCI said the session has been adjourned to Tuesday morning.

The March 8 majority alliance and March 14 opposition officials intensified separate talks on Monday, two days ahead of a meeting of joint parliamentary committees on an electoral draft law.

Al-Mustaqbal bloc leader Fouad Saniora visited Baabda palace for talks with President Michel Suleiman on several proposals and “the importance of agreeing on a modern electoral law that produces political plurality in line with the constitution,” a presidential statement said.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said Friday he would propose an electoral draft-law that combines suggestions made by several parties in parliament if the assembly failed to approve the bill referred to it by the government.

In remarks to al-Liwaa daily, Charbel said he was waiting for the fate of the cabinet's bill to propose his own version of an electoral draft-law that is based on holding the elections on two stages.

A Free Patriotic Movement delegation led by Energy Minister Jebran Bassil informed Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi that an electoral draft-law approved by the cabinet earlier in the week would lead to a good representation of Christians, An Nahar daily reported on Saturday.

The delegation, which also included Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan, told al-Rahi on Friday that the draft-law guarantees the election of 14 new MPs through the votes of Christians, upping the number of Christian lawmakers elected by members of the same sect to 48, the newspaper said.

A committee of representatives of four major Christian parties is expected to meet in the coming days to announce its stance from a new electoral draft-law approved by the government amid clear differences in the viewpoints of its members, An Nahar daily reported on Wednesday.

Bkirki sources refused to comment on the draft but stressed that it supports a law that represents all Lebanese sects in the best way and guarantees equality between all confessions and Lebanese parties.

Top March 8 majority alliance leaders might hold a meeting after their relations were threatened over the crisis of Electricite du Liban contract workers, the coalition’s leadership sources said.

The sources told As Safir newspaper on Saturday that the possibility of holding such a meeting between Speaker Nabih Berri, Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Free Patriotic Movement chief Michel Aoun and Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh is under discussion.

A meeting between Christian lawmakers was held on Tuesday to coordinate stances regarding the latest dispute at the parliament which led them to boycott its sessions.

According to An Nahar newspaper published on Thursday, Energy Minister Jebran Bassil and MP Ibrahim Kanaan, who are loyal to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan and Phalange Party MP Sami Gemayel held talks in Bikfaya from 11:00 p.m. till 1:00 a.m.