Christian and Muslim spiritual leaders meeting on Sunday in Bkirki called for “immunizing national unity on the basis of coexistence and protecting it from any repercussions of the events taking place in the region.”

The summit was held on the occasion of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the first anniversary of Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi’s election.

Sources close to Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat warned spiritual leaders that are set to meet in Bkirki on Sunday against not stressing an end to the violent crackdown of the Syrian regime on protestors.

The sources said that the Muslim and Christian spiritual leaders should take a clear stance from the Syrian crisis and stress the need for a political solution based on an Arab League plan for President Bashar Assad to transfer power to his deputy.

The cabinet is scheduled to make several appointments of civil servants to posts in state institutions next week after a several month standstill, An Nahar daily reported Sunday.

It said the cabinet agenda includes three articles on the appointment of the chief of staff at the Civil Service Council, the director-general of the ministerial affairs at the general directorate of the premiership, the head of research at the Civil Service Council.

Energy Minister Jebran Bassil has vowed to issue a strong response to a proposal by Premier Najib Miqati to build a power plant that would generate 500 Megawatts of electricity instead of giving his consent to tenders won by two companies on providing power-generating vessels.

Bassil refused to comment on a report drafted by Miqati that was circulated to ministers on Saturday as part of the 76-item agenda of the cabinet that is set to convene at Baabda Palace next week.

Premier Najib Miqati said his suggestion to build a power plant that would generate 500 Megawatts of electricity would cost the treasury less than a proposal made by Energy Minister Jebran Bassil to lease vessels, a move that is likely to lead to a clash between them.

In a six-page report that he proposed to the cabinet for discussion at Baabda Palace on Wednesday, Miqati said the establishment of the power plant takes a year and would cost maximum 480 million dollars for at least a 25-year service.

The Lebanese army denied a media report that Hizbullah members have prevented it from inspecting a truck loaded with weapons in the western Bekaa valley.

The army command said in a communique late Saturday that neither party members intercepted the army unit nor there was a military presence in the region of Khirbet Qanafar.

Nearly 14,000 Syrian refugees had fled the crackdown in their country to Lebanon according to a report issued on Saturday by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

According to the UNHCR the number of registered Syrians in Lebanon includes 8,148 in the north, more than 5,000 in Western Bekaa, and around 1,200 in Northern Bekaa as the numbers are rising daily.

Boxes of expired medicine were found dumped in Akkar in a trash container as authorities are carrying on a firm crackdown on harmful goods across Lebanon, the National News Agency reported.

According to the news agency, the violators tried to burn the expired medicine boxes in order to hide any evidence, however, their attempt failed.

President Michel Suleiman called on the competent security and judiciary authorities to exert efforts to implement stricter food safety measures, the National News Agency reported on Saturday.

“If security is a priority, then the citizens’ health and their right to eat safe food is sacred,” Suleiman said.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel visited Roumieh prison on Saturday where he presented checks to inmates whose jail sentences were complete and who also cannot afford their bail.

He revealed that future steps will follow this one at other jails in Lebanon.