The Free Patriotic Movement on Monday called on caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri to pick a “consensual” candidate for the PM post.

“The FPM positively calls for an end to the waste of time and for the endorsement of the Strong Lebanon bloc’s proposal on the formation of an active salvation government comprised of competent and upright figures in terms of both its premier and ministers, so that it immediately starts to confront the severe crisis,” the FPM said in a statement.

UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis regretted the postponement of Lebanon's talks to pick a new prime minister in light of an aggravating political and economic crisis.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning that Hizbullah and the State of Lebanon will pay dearly for any assault against Israel, Israeli media reports said on Monday.

The Lebanese Army issued a statement on Monday on the clashes with police near the parliament a day earlier on the eve of much-delayed consultations to form a new cabinet needed to fix a deepening economic crisis.

The anticipated binding parliamentary consultations to name a new Premier have been postponed until December 19 for “further consultations on the government,” after violent clashes erupted over the weekend between protesters and security forces.

The Presidency office of President Michel Aoun issued a statement shortly before the scheduled consultations at Baabda Palace saying that “President Aoun responded to the wishes of (caretaker) prime minister Saad Hariri to postpone parliamentary consultations until Thursday December 19.”

Several Arab and international leaders have sounded the alarm about the latest developments in Lebanon urging its leaders to “listen” to the people’s demands amid sweeping protests demanding an overhaul of the entire political class and an unprecedented economic crisis.

Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri reportedly held a “secret” meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh on Saturday, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

The daily said that discussions tackled several “suggestions,” on the formation of the government, that Berri believes must be addressed "quickly," said the daily.

Caretaker Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan on Sunday blamed “infiltrators” for Sunday’s clashes in central Beirut, urging “peaceful protesters” to leave the area.

In remarks to MTV, al-Hassan also expressed concern that the violence could be part of a “plot” to obstruct parliamentary consultations to a pick a new premier scheduled for Monday.

Security forces fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons Sunday evening in a bid to disperse protesters outside Beirut’s Nejmeh Square, after firecrackers and bottles were hurled at them.

Several protesters disavowed the individuals who hurled the dozens of firecrackers, describing them as “infiltrators.”

Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri held a “secret” meeting with President Michel Aoun in Baabda on Saturday evening, TV networks reported on Sunday.

The reports said the talks tackled “the governmental developments on the eve of the binding parliamentary consultations” to pick a new premier.