Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun urged the Syrian people on Saturday to resort to dialogue rather than violence saying they should hold onto ballot boxes and not bullets.

Addressing a delegation of Syrian women that visited him at his residence in Rabieh, Aoun said: “The Syrian people should not go through the same experience of the Lebanese in the 1970s.”

Ministers loyal to Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun stressed on Saturday that their participation in the cabinet hinges on a set of conditions that the government should meet.

Following a meeting of the Change and Reform bloc ministers in Rabieh, Energy Minister Jebran Bassil said: “Our participation or boycott of cabinet sessions stands on several issues.”

France is mulling to downsize its troops in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon early next year, informed French sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Saturday.

The sources said the reduction in the number of French soldiers from the current 12,000 would come when UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen. Alberto Asarta’s mandate expires.

Pilots at Lebanon's national carrier are delaying outgoing flights to protest a decision by the company's administration to fire a pilot who is undergoing medical treatment.

The pilots union said in a statement on Friday that all Middle East Airlines flights departing between 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm to the Gulf will be delayed by two hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Saturday that a solution to the Lebanese cabinet crisis does not come through the resignation of the government but through understanding and dialogue.

At the opening of a conference organized by his Amal movement at UNESCO Palace in Beirut, Berri said: “The solution is not through the resignation of the government but through finding a solution.”

President Michel Suleiman, Premier Najib Miqati and Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi signed decrees to provide funds to Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi, who has been boycotting cabinet sessions over the past three weeks, An Nahar daily reported Saturday.

The newspaper said that Suleiman, Miqati and Safadi signed the decrees at Baabda palace on Friday.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed Friday that the Premiership will not be a target each time some find themselves cornered, asserting that it is impossible to reduce the constitutional authorities if the PM.

The Change and Reform Ministers said earlier prior to refusing to attend a cabinet session that it is not logical for the Prime minister to impose an agenda for discussion on the ministers.

Change and Reform Bloc MP Michel Aoun on Friday renewed his refusal to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, asking all those who fear their foreign interests to "leave the government."

During the Free Patriotic Movement's dinner ceremony in Jbeil district, Aoun said that "we refuse and will keep on refusing what the STL demands from Lebanon since it is not right to always submit to foreign interests," adding that "they cannot impose on Lebanon what they want and I am ready again to risk myself rather than risking Lebanon."

Cabinet postponed its session on Friday due to the lack of quorum after the Change and Reform ministers did not attend the meeting, which was expected to be held at the Baabda palace.

The ministers chose not to attend the session because of they are reportedly upset over the way they have been treated by the government, reported OTV.

Special Tribunal for Lebanon spokesman Marten Youssef stressed on Friday that STL president Judge Sir David Baragwanath didn’t tackle the possibility of imposing international sanctions on Lebanon if the funding wasn’t approved by the cabinet.

“The aim behind the STL president’s visit is to inquire about the stance of the Lebanese authorities and the cabinet towards the tribunal,” Youssef told al-Joumhouria newspaper.