Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir slammed on Sunday what he called Hizbullah's “hegemony” in Lebanon through the force of weapons.

“Some people are intentionally trying to create hegemony in Lebanon through their arms,” al-Asir told his supporters during a rally held in the southern city of Sidon.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi called on Sunday for the formation of a new government that resolves the country's economic and social problems and holds parliamentary elections on time.

During his sermon, al-Rahi called for “dialogue and national reconciliation” to end the “divisions” among the country's politicians.

The Lebanese Army command said Sunday that a soldier was killed after a suspect opened fire on him during a chase in the town of Jounieh, north of Beirut.

A terse communique said that an intelligence patrol was chasing Hassan Ahmed Gharib for committing different crimes when he opened fire towards the vehicle and killed Sergeant Samson Antranikian.

Lebanese Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan called on Sunday for the amendment of the Constitution after saying that the Taef Accord collapsed following the withdrawal of the Syrian “guardian.”

Since the adoption of the Taef agreement in 1989, Lebanon has been witnessing a "political system crisis," Arslan told An Nahar newspaper in an interview.

The Lebanese Army is holding contacts with Syrian authorities to reveal the fate of around 25 men from northern Lebanon after reports emerged that they were killed as they tried to enter the Syrian town of Tall Kalakh, near the Lebanese border, An Nahar daily reported Sunday.

Several youth from al-Mankoubeen area in the northern city of Tripoli have erected tents near al-Nour mosque in protest and warned they would take escalatory measures if the Lebanese authorities brought no new information about their fate.

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour has said the Syrian war has "negative ramifications" for the region but advocated dialogue as the only solution to the crisis.

"There should not be any external military or any other kind of intervention," said Mansour at a one-day summit in Istanbul on Saturday.

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc leader Fouad Saniora told President Michel Suleiman that it would be useless to sit at the dialogue table in the presence of a government that gives cover to the suspects in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's Feb. 2005 assassination, An Nahar daily reported on Sunday.

“What's the point of (engaging in) dialogue in the presence of a government that covers up suspects in ex-PM Rafik Hariri's murder and the assassination attempt of MP Butros Harb,” An Nahar quoted Saniora as telling Suleiman during a meeting they held at Baabda Palace on Saturday.

Downtown Beirut launched on Saturday the end-of-year festivities with a Christmas parade and the lighting of a tree in Beirut Souks.

“The festivities kicked off with shows performed by musical bands, acrobats and Christmas characters including Santa Clause,” a statement by Solidere said.

Michel Barnier, a member of the European Commission, who is responsible for internal market and services, stressed on Saturday that Lebanon is passing through a delicate situation.

“Lebanon is in need for the solidarity of the French people... And the European Union,” Barnier said after holding talks with Prime Minister Najib Miqati at the Grand Serail.

Several youth from al-Mankoubeen area in the northern city of Tripoli erected on Saturday tents near al-Nour mosque to protest media reports saying that a group of Lebanese Islamists from the city were killed in the Syrian border town of Tall Kalakh.

The National News Agency reported that the youth are demanding authorities to determine the fate of the Twenty-two men.