Lebanon begins its binding parliamentary consultations on Thursday to name a new prime minister for the crisis-hit country, nearly a month after the previous appointee failed to form a government.

The stances of some parliamentary blocs and independent MPs on the nomination of ex-PM Saad Hariri for the premier post became known on Wednesday evening.

According to information obtained by LBCI TV, Hizbullah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc has decided “not to name anyone” in Thursday's binding parliamentary consultations that will be held at the Baabda Palace to designate a new premier.

Rival demos were staged Wednesday evening in downtown Beirut on the eve of the binding parliamentary consultations to pick a new premier.

As anti-government protesters marched from an area near parliament towards the Center House -- ex-PM Saad Hariri’s residence -- in rejection of his expected return as premier, backers of al-Mustaqbal Movement staged a rival demo in the area in his support.

The Lebanese Army on Wednesday received a quantity of ammunition donated by Turkey.

The shipment, containing ammunition of various calibers, was delivered at a ceremony that was held at the army’s Equipment Directorate, in the presence of the army’s equipment chief Brig. Gen. Ziad Nasr, who represented the army commander, Turkish Ambassador Hakan Cakil and a number of officers.

A new quantity of hazardously stored fuel was confiscated Wednesday in the Beirut area of Tariq al-Jedideh.

“At the instructions of Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud, the Beirut fire and guard brigades raided a depot in the al-Fakhani neighborhood in Tariq al-Jedideh,” said a statement issued by Beirut Municipality’s Public Relations Department.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara el-Rahi said on Wednesday that the patriarchate carries the people’s concerns amid a soaring economic and political crises in Lebanon.

“The patriarchate carries the concerns of the Lebanese in the face of the stifling economic crisis which results from the country’s chronic political impasse,” said Rahi at the inauguration of the Maronite Bishops’ assembly meeting in Bkirki.

President Michel Aoun said on Wednesday that he will “continue to bear his responsibilities” as Lebanon gears for a controversial designation of a new prime minister and the formation of a government widely expected to witness disputes over shares among political parties.

President Michel Aoun received a telephone call late on Tuesday from General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim, who met American officials in Boston, and is currently waiting for his full recovery after retracting COVID-19 virus, al-Joumhouria daily reported Wednesday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has reportedly delayed a scheduled visit to Lebanon to an undisclosed date, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.

Beirut Municipality’s crackdown on flammable material posing risk to public safety continued on Tuesday with a new raid in Beirut’s Tariq al-Jedideh area, where a gasoline tank blast killed three people and injured over 50 earlier this month.

“At the instructions of Beirut Governor Judge Marwan Abboud, and after a complaint was received about the presence of gas cylinders stored in an apartment in the Tariq al-Jedideh area, posing a threat to public safety, a force from Beirut’s fire and guard brigades raided the apartment and seized around 17 gas cylinders stored illegally,” the Municipality said.