Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Mohammed Qabbani said in a statement issued Friday morning that he would not vote for presidential candidate, Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun, the National News Agency reported.

The Kataeb party warned of a “vertical split” and a “one-party” ruling in the country following the endorsement of MP Michel Aoun for the presidency by head of al-Mustaqbal Movement, and stressed that the majority do not support the MP for the top state post, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

Al-Mustaqbal Movement chief ex-PM Saad Hariri is reassured about the outcome of his initiative as for nominating MP Michel Aoun for the post of president, and said its unlikely for the election session scheduled at the end of October to be postponed, An Nahar daily reported on Friday.

In side talks with the daily, Hariri said “I am reassured,” about the results of the initiative, and that he does not expect the election session on 31 of October to be postponed “unless they wanted to,” he said. He was referring to reports circulating that the session might be delayed until the tense relations between Speaker Nabih Berri and Aoun are settled, according to the daily.

Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri is expected to officially announce his support of the presidential nomination of Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun during a televised appearance that will be held on Thursday.

The Investigative judge in Mount Lebanon issued an arrest warrant against General Security warrant officer Tony Abboud in the Ashqout crime case in the town of Keserwan, media reports said on Wednesday.

The judge issued the warrant after interrogating the culprit, the reports said.

Police said they have arrested one of the biggest drug dealers in north Lebanon, the Internal Security Forces said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Several theft and drug trafficking operations were reported lately in the city of Tripoli and its suburbs,” said the statement.

A legislative session was held on Wednesday to tackle several pending issues ahead of a meeting scheduled for October 31 and dedicated to electing a head of state for the vacant presidency.

After a long failure to achieve quorum and end the two and a half years vacancy, the parliamentarians attended the legislative session, except for the boycotting Kataeb party, and 21 "necessary legislation" items were on the agenda.

Speaker Nabih Berri has refused to receive al-Mustaqbal Movement chief Saad Hariri after knowing that the ex-PM plans to brief the Speaker on his intention to nominate MP Michel Aoun for the post of the presidency, al-Akhbar daily reported on Wednesday.

Berri denied reports that quoted him as accusing the al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri and MP Michel Aoun of seeking to “topple Shiism,” and described the reports as “inciting,” An Nahar Daily reported on Wednesday.

“All the news and talks that AMAL and the Liberation and Development bloc mentioned something about a Maronite-Sunni bilateral power-sharing of the 1943 are unfounded. This rhetoric is inciting and I categorically deny it,” Berri told the daily.

A Lebanese army Sergeant First Class was killed late on Sunday in the northeastern border town of Arsal, the National News Agency reported on Monday.