Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed on Thursday that hijacking the state's will harms the Lebanese as he is holding onto toppling PM Najib Miqati's government and the formation of a cabinet that is capable of carrying out “fair elections.”

“We have no choice as Lebanese but to meet under the auspices of the state and its institutions... No team has the right to control another by its military force or through its regional links,” Hariri said in an interview with pan-Arab newspaper al-Hayat.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks on Wednesday with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican.

The two discussed the latest developments in the region and the importance of exerting all the possible efforts to achieve peace, Hariri's press office said in a statement.

Former prime minister Saad Hariri on Tuesday hit back at Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, defending Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and stressing that al-Mustaqbal Movement “has never been an advocate of sectarian strife.”

“There are certain constitutional principles for ousting governments, unless Sayyed Hassan wants to write us a new constitution and wants to teach us that the new method for that (changing governments) is (national) dialogue,” said Hariri after meeting Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi in Rome.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri hailed on Tuesday the formation of the Syrian National Coalition, saying that it reflects the aspirations of the “free Syrian people.”

He said in a statement: “The bloc is a step in the right direction to continue the popular Syrian revolution and its ultimate goal to topple the regime of President Bashar Assad.”

The March 14 opposition alliance is hinging on a French-Saudi initiative that would steer Lebanon clear of the Syrian war and lead to a change in the Lebanese government, al-Mustaqbal movement sources said Wednesday.

Such an initiative would keep Lebanon away of the “Syrian swamp” and could expand to include the United States and Russia, the sources told As Safir daily.

The March 14 opposition alliance held onto its stance that there can be no national dialogue with Hizbullah's presence at the table of the all party-talks, saying the only solution to the country's political crisis comes through a salvation government.

“Dialogue with the president is open to form a new government,” a high-ranking March 14 source told An Nahar daily about consultations held by President Michel Suleiman with the political parties to guarantee a way out of the crisis.

Speaker Nabih Berri reiterated on Tuesday the necessity to hold dialogue among political powers away from external alliances, and stressed that “efforts to solve the (country's) crisis are still blocked.”

In an interview with the al-Akhbar daily, Berri encouraged Lebanese factions to solve their own problems, criticizing the opposition March 14 alliance for boycotting the cabinet activities.

The major point of contention between Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat and the March 14 opposition alliance is his insistence to reappoint Prime Minister Najib Miqati if the cabinet collapses, As Safir daily reported on Tuesday.

Jumblat, a centrist, has a major role in deciding the fate of the majority alliance that makes up the current Hizbullah-led cabinet.

France and Saudi Arabia have reached an agreement to indefinitely exclude Prime Minister Najib Miqati from the Lebanese premiership if a new government is formed, diplomatic sources said Monday.

The sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper that the deal was reached between French President Francois Hollande and Saudi King Abdullah during talks in Jeddah attended by former Lebanese Premier Saad Hariri, who is the head of the opposition al-Mustaqbal movement.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius stressed Monday that a planned visit by Lebanese Premier Najib Miqati hasn't been cancelled after reports that the trip was being reconsidered over French President Francois Hollande's “sudden” visit to Beirut.

“Miqati's visit to France is still on,” Fabius told An Nahar newspaper. “It's true that we didn't discuss it today (Sunday) but nothing has changed in the date at the end of this month.”