A meeting between head of al-Mustaqbal Movement MP Saad Hariri and Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is not on the agenda of the former premier.

According to the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat published on Sunday, the meeting between Hariri and Nasrallah will not be held any time soon as the rift with Hizbullah is still acute.

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq stated on Saturday that the decision “to extend the term of parliament or not” lies in the hands of the political powers and government, reported the National News Agency.

He said after holding talks with Speaker Nabih Berri: “As interior minister, I do not believe that the security situation in Lebanon allows us to hold the elections on time in November.”

Speaker Nabih Berri has urged the Lebanese authorities to deal with the Syrian encampments “differently” after many gunmen taking refuge there joined militants last weekend and took over the northeastern border town of Arsal.

“From now on, we should deal with the refugee encampments differently and not to tolerate” the presence of armed men there, Berri was quoted as saying by several newspapers that hit the newsstands on Friday.

Speaker Nabih Berri renewed on Wednesday his rejection of the extension of parliament's term for a second time, reported media outlets.

He instead requested that the Interior Ministry make the preparations to stage the parliamentary elections.

Speaker Nabih Berri has praised Saudi King Abdullah for pledging to accelerate delivery of weapons to the Lebanese army under a Saudi-financed deal and lauded al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri over his stance on the fighting in the northeastern border town of Arsal.

Abdullah's pledge “came as a result of phone conversations I made with Saudi officials to mobilize the $3 billion Saudi grant,” Berri told his visitors.

Outgoing Saudi Ambassador Ali Awadh Asiri on Monday expressed regret at the political and security situation in Lebanon, hoping for national unity to preserve stability.

Asiri said that he expressed regret to Speaker Nabih Berri “on the developments in Lebanon and hoped that they would reflect on Lebanese unity.”

Speaker Nabih Berri has warned that the “fate of the nation was at stake,” saying the Lebanese army should be equipped with an effective arsenal to confront terrorists.

In remarks to several newspapers that hit the newstands on Monday, Berri said: “The country ... does not tolerate blurred choices.”

The political arch-foes remained at loggerheads on Saturday over the new pay hike for public employees despite the intensive efforts to end the impasse with the Syndicate Coordination Committee that insists on boycotting the correction of official exams.

Education Minister Elias Bou Saab reiterated in comments published in al-Joumhouria newspaper that he rejects attempts by the SCC to control the future of students.

The controversial new pay hike for public employees reached an impasse on Friday despite staunch consultations among parliamentary blocs to reach a breakthrough and end the lingering crisis.

Local newspapers reported that a meeting was held on Thursday night between head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Fouad Saniora, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, Health Minister Wael Abou Faour and Lebanese Forces lawmaker George Adwan.

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Thursday that he didn't tackle the extension of the parliament's term with any political party, pointing out that the priority is for staging the presidential elections.

“Contacts with political powers are focusing on the election of a new head of state and not the parliamentary polls,” Berri said in comments published in As Safir newspaper.