Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan stressed Sunday that “preserving the Resistance’s weapons is the key to general stability in the country,” noting that Premier Najib Miqati “has favored the financing of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon over obstruction, for the sake of stability.”

“Preserving the Resistance’s weapons is the key to general stability in the country, especially that it is twinned with the army and the people in a tripartite epic,” Arslan said in a speech at an inauguration ceremony in the southern district of Hasbaya.

Operations have resumed at the Zahrani electricity plant, which will return to its full capacity starting Monday morning, Electricite du Liban announced Sunday, after media reports said contacts between Premier Najib Miqati and Speaker Nabih Berri had managed to resolve the crisis.

“Today, Starting 1:00 pm … work began to gradually reconnect the Zahrani plant to the grid, which will become fully functional Monday morning … should no technical problems arise due to the forced and sudden suspension of production units for around 48 hours,” EDL said in a statement.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi rejected on Sunday the political choices of officials stressing his commitment to national unity through the diversity of the Lebanese society.

“When we announce that we are with everybody and we reject being tinted with the color of anyone at the level of political choices, that’s because we are committed to building unity through diversity,” al-Rahi said in his sermon.

Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat brushed off the bickering between the March 8 and 14 forces on the international tribunal, saying they should instead avert a possible Lebanese civil war over the crisis in Syria.

“What’s happening in Lebanon, around us and in Syria could turn the tribunal into a minor issue if there was strife in Lebanon,” Jumblat said as he laid a wreath on the grave of his slain father Kamal Jumblat on the occasion of his birthday.

Residents of a neighborhood in Mina in the northern city of Tripoli blocked a road with burning tires at dawn Sunday to protest power cuts, Voice of Lebanon radio station reported.

VDL (93.3) said that “party members” sought to interfere to prevent the angry Hawsh al-Abid residents from blocking the road.

Hizbullah MP Kamel al-Rifai said the frigid ties between the party and Premier Najib Miqati would improve only if the premier puts the so-called false witnesses issue on the cabinet’s agenda.

In remarks to pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, al-Rifai said: “The way Miqati behaved harms his ties with his allies and partners in the government.”

Energy Minister Jebran Bassil said the shutdown of the Zahrani power plant was a “dangerous precedent,” adding it was a violation similar to the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

In remarks to al-Jadeed television, Bassil said: “What’s happening at this plant is a violation in addition to other violations carried out (in the country), including the funding of the tribunal.”

March 14 general-secretariat coordinator Fares Soaid described the shutdown of the Zahrani power plant as a “militia act” that should be confronted.

“We are facing a behavior of a militia that targets all sectors and lately the Zahrani power plant,” Soaid told An Nahar daily published Sunday.

Middle East Airlines pilots announced that they will end their strike at midnight on Saturday as the company declared continuing its flights on Sunday afternoon according to the scheduled dates.

The pilots union announced in a press conference on Saturday that their strike “will end at midnight,” the National News Agency reported.

Hizbullah’s announcement on Friday that it had foiled an attempt by Israel to spy on its telecom network that was installed between two southern towns, raised questions on how Israel succeeded in its operation, the Central News Agency reported.

Security sources told the news agency on Saturday that the “war between Israel and Hizbullah became electronic.”