The cabinet agreed on Tuesday to cancel the waste management bids that were presented on Monday, during an extraordinary session that witnessed the withdrawal of Hizbullah, Free Patriotic Movement and Tashnag ministers over what Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil described as a “farce.”

The government agreed to dedicate 100 million dollars to set up a temporary dump in the impoverished northern region of Akkar.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi is expected to launch an initiative to stop the growing political crisis from spiraling out of control, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Tuesday.

Al-Rahi is scheduled to return to the seat of the Maronite church in Bkirki from his summer residence in Diman after canceling a trip abroad, said the newspaper.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam has stressed that decisions taken by the majority of cabinet members will be implemented despite attempts by some parties to obstruct them.

“Even in the presence of a president, the Constitution grants him a time limit to review the decisions. They will be implemented when the deadline expires,” Salam told al-Akhbar daily in an interview published on Tuesday.

Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal movement stressed Monday during their 17th dialogue session their “keenness on freedom of expression and peaceful protest under the law and applicable regulations,” a day after more than 100 people were injured during protests in central Beirut.

“The conferees discussed the domestic developments, the social issues, and the events of the past few days,” the two parties said in a terse statement after the Ain el-Tineh talks.

British Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood said Monday that he was “deeply concerned” by the scenes of “violence and destruction” during the weekend demonstrations in Beirut that left scores of people injured.

“As Prime Minister Salam has said the right to peaceful protest must be protected. There should be a full investigation, accountability and all parties must exercise restraint,” Ellwood said in a statement.

Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday demanded the “reevaluation” or “total annulment” of the winning waste management bids, citing the “high prices” that were proposed.

“The bids must be reevaluated due to the high prices and the major burden on the treasury or else they should be totally annulled,” said Berri in remarks carried by state-run National News Agency.

Violent gunbattles erupted Monday evening in the Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in Sidon between members of the secular Fatah Movement and Islamist militants, in a renewal of the violence that had first erupted on Saturday.

State-run National News Agency said Fatah member Fadi K. was killed and at least three people were wounded in fighting involving the use of rocket-propelled grenades, machineguns and flares. According to Future TV, mortar shells were also fired during the clashes.

Head of the Kataeb Party MP Sami Gemayel stressed on Monday that the cabinet will be facing a “test,” during its extraordinary session on Tuesday, if "the obstruction by some of its members continues."

He declared in a statement after the party's weekly politburo meeting: “We see no point in remaining in cabinet if the obstruction continues in tomorrow's meeting.”

Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq unveiled on Monday the names of the companies that won bids regarding waste management in Lebanon.

He announced in a press conference that it is now up to the cabinet to study the bids and announce the names of the winning proposals.

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale stressed on Monday the right of free speech and assembly in the wake of the weekend's violent demonstrations, adding “the American and Lebanese constitutions support the right to peaceful protest.”

He said after holding talks with Prime Minister Tammam Salam: “Lebanon’s citizens deserve to have basic services they can count upon, just as they deserve a parliament that overcomes its divisions and elects a president.”