Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel voiced hope on Wednesday that the rival parties would reach consensus over the new electoral law, rejecting attempts to thwart the upcoming 2013 parliamentary elections.

He revealed after talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi at Bkirki that the March 14 opposition leaders held a meeting on Tuesday night to discuss a proposal by Speaker Nabih Berri to resume the meetings of an electoral subcommittee tasked with studying electoral draft-laws.

Speaker Nabih Berri has suggested that March 14 opposition lawmakers, many of whom have received death threats, reside at a hotel near parliament to attend the meetings of a parliamentary subcommittee after they said they were fearing for their lives.

March 14 MP Marwan Hamadeh, who held a telephone conversation with Berri, told As Safir daily published on Wednesday that the speaker suggested that the lawmakers reside at the hotel and hold the meetings in parliament after guaranteeing enough security protection to them.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun slammed on Tuesday the March 14 camp's obstruction of parliamentary work, accusing the “minority of practicing a dictatorship” in Lebanon.

He said after the Change and Reform bloc's weekly meeting: “I assure the people that no unrest will take place if the parliamentary elections are not staged due to the March 14 camp's obstruction.”

The Phalange Party stressed on Monday the importance of the current contacts between Speaker Nabih Berri and the March 14 opposition in order to reactivate efforts to reach an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law.

It added in a statement after its weekly politburo meeting: “We hold the government responsible for jeopardizing the parliamentary elections and agreement on a new law due to its refusal to resign to pave the way for a salvation cabinet.”

The March 14 alliance is expected to hold a new meeting soon to tackle the negotiations with Speaker Nabih Berri and the upcoming stage, al-Liwaa newspaper reported on Monday.

According to the daily, the opposition's meeting will focus on discussions held with Berri over the possible ways to reactivate the meetings of a parliamentary subcommittee tasked with studying the disputed issues concerning a new electoral draft law.

Opposition MPs from the March 14 alliance denied on Friday that a meeting they held with Speaker Nabih Berri ended in failure, saying they discussed with him the best possible way to reactivate parliamentary a subcommittee without putting their lives at stake.

MP Marwan Hamadeh, who was part of a four-member delegation that met with Berri in Ain el-Tineh on Thursday, told al-Liwaa daily that “discussions haven't reached a dead-end.”

A delegation of March 14 opposition lawmakers met with Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday amid a sign of lack of progress on the activation of the meetings of a parliamentary subcommittee tasked with drafting an electoral law.

MP Marwan Hamadah, who was part of the four-member delegation, announced following the talks with Berri in Ain el-Tineh that further discussions were required on the resumption of the meetings.

Speaker Nabih Berri urged on Wednesday the need to reactivate the functioning of official institutions, starting with the parliament.

He stressed the need to “tackle all national duties that concern Lebanon and the Lebanese people away from political bickering and calculations.”

Speaker Nabih Berri described on Wednesday a statement issued by March 14 opposition MPs as a “positive step” pending their next measure aimed at activating a parliamentary subcommittee on an electoral draft-law.

In remarks to An Nahar newspaper, Berri said he was still waiting for their next step to take the appropriate action in calling for the subcommittee's meeting.

Several opposition lawmakers gave their consent on Monday to the activation of a parliamentary subcommittee to discuss an electoral draft-law on condition that no government representative attends the talks.

Following a meeting held by the opposition's parliamentary committee heads, rapporteurs and members of parliament's bureau at MP Butros Harb's residence for the second time in 12 days, the MPs said they were willing to attend the meeting of the subcommittee to agree on a new electoral draft-law but stuck onto their demand for the nonattendance of government representatives.