Speaker Nabih Berri revealed that rival MPs had made progress in agreeing on the public sector wage scale, which he described as the “key” to holding legislative sessions.

Berri spoke to his visitors about the efforts exerted by his aide Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil and Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan to approve the raise.

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.

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil announced on Tuesday that he withdrew from the Arab League meeting during Syrian National Coalition chief Ahmed Jarba's speech.

“I pulled out from the hall in harmony with my own convictions and allegiances,” Khalil, who is the political adviser of Speaker Nabih Berri, said via Twitter.

Electricity du Liban officials have warned that the government's failure to legitimize the release of funds by the finance ministry to buy fuel oil would have detrimental effects on electricity.

The officials, who were not named, told al-Liwaa newspaper in remarks published on Thursday that the issue should be resolved within a week because the fuel oil available for the state-run EDL would be depleted.

Caretaker Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil and the Hizbullah leader's adviser, Hussein Khalil, have held talks with Premier-designate Tammam Salam, a positive sign that the March 8 alliance resumed its consultations on the new cabinet.

An Nahar and al-Joumhouria dailies said Friday that the two officials visited Salam at his residence in Msaitbeh, the first meeting between the two sides in several months.

Lebanese officials denounced on Tuesday the twin blast that took place in the neighborhood of Bir Hassan in Beirut's southern suburbs, which killed at least 23 people and injured more than 145.

Speaker Nabih Berri denounced the attack, pointing out that "the terrorist attack is a clear attempt to create a rift among the Lebanese.

Sharp differences among cabinet members over the new wages scale forced the postponement of the controversial issue as ministers were divided between those holding onto a deal agreed with the public sector and others arguing that the percentage hike should be decreased as the state treasury can’t endure it, local newspapers reported on Thursday.

The cabinet session on Wednesday witnessed sharp debate between Hizbullah and AMAL Movement ministers and President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Najib Miqati and National Struggle Front ministers, who are loyal to Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, over the percentage of the new salaries increase for the public sector employees.

The cabinet is once again showing signs of division among cabinet members but this time on the $5.9 billion extra-budgetary spending of 2011 that has seen centrists criticizing March 8 majority members for pressuring President Michel Suleiman into signing the bill after parliament failed to approve it.

During a cabinet session held at Baabda palace on Wednesday, the ministers loyal to Hizbullah, Amal and the Free Patriotic Movement exerted pressure on the president to use his constitutional authorities by resorting to article 58 of the constitution which allows him to issue a bill deemed urgent by the government after the failure of the legislature to approve it.

Speaker Nabih Berri has moved to the stage of inquiring Lebanese politicians about their stances from his electoral proposal based on proportional representation that considers Lebanon a single district.

The first stop was President Michel Suleiman when Berri dispatched Ministers Ali Hassan Khalil and Mohammed Fneish to Baabda palace on Tuesday.

Several ministers have tasked Hizbullah and Amal movement with informing Energy Minister Jebran Bassil about the decisions they reached on the electricity crisis at a meeting held at the Grand Serail on Monday.

Amal Minister Ali Hassan Khalil and a Hizbullah representative will make the proposal to Bassil although he rejected any amendment to his electricity plan that calls for the allocation of $1.2 billion to generate 700 Megawatts of electricity.