Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Ali Awadh Asiri voiced hopes on Saturday that Lebanon passes to the “shore of safety” by electing a new president, hailing President Michel Suleiman for all the wise decisions he took during his term.

“I hope that Lebanon passes to the shore of safety and stability by electing a new head of state,” said Asiri after Suleiman awarded him the National Order of the Cedar Medal as an appreciation for his endeavors.

Head of al-Mustaqbal Movement Saad Hariri hailed on Saturday President Michel Suleiman, saying that the country “needs a political miracle to ensure electing a new head of state” ahead of the end of the outgoing president's six-year term.

“Few hours separate us from the constitutional deadline to elect a new president, which requires a political miracle to end the deadlock,” Hariri said in a statement issued by his press office.

The rival political arch-foes are mulling their participation in cabinet and parliamentary sessions after the expected vacuum at the helm of the country's top Christian post.

Al-Marada movement, a March 8 alliance affiliated party, rejected to join an expected decision by the Free Patriotic Movement to boycott the cabinet sessions.

The adviser of al-Mustaqbal movement leader, Nader al-Hariri, denied a meeting recently with Free Patriotic Movement Michel Aoun and presenting him an offer to extend the tenure of outgoing President Michel Suleiman's by one year.

Sources close to al-Mustaqbal official, who is loyal to ex-premier Saad Hariri, ruled out that Nader al-Hariri proposed on Aoun to adopt his candidacy for presidency if Suleiman's term was extended by one year to avoid vacuum.

President Michel Suleiman expressed pride and shame at the end of his tenure, al-Liwaa newspaper reported on Friday.

According to the daily, Suleiman told the employees of the Baabda Palace in a farewell meeting that he was at first ashamed to be elected as a president after the May 7, 2008 incident but now he feels proud for leaving the post in accordance with the democratic norms.

President Michel Suleiman has promised to follow up on the achievements that he has made during his tenure, including the implementation of the Baabda Declaration, hoping for similar moves by the country's new head of state.

In remarks to An Nahar daily published on Thursday, two days before a ceremony he will hold on the occasion of leaving office, Suleiman regretted that he might not hand over power to the person who will take office after him.

The owners of old rent law buildings staged a sit-in on Wednesday in Beirut's Mathaf area in protest against President Michel Suleiman's appeal against the draft-law.

The owners slammed his action, comparing him to Pontius Pilate, the Roman judge who ordered the execution of Jesus Christ.

Speaker Nabih Berri said Thursday's parliamentary session to elect a new head of state will be open-ended until the expiry of President Michel Suleiman's term on May 25.

“The session will be open-ended until there is quorum,” Berri told lawmakers after he adjourned a legislative session on Wednesday aimed at discussing a plea made by Suleiman to resolve the presidential deadlock.

A cabinet session scheduled for Thursday will be held at the Grand Serail instead of Baabda Palace to discuss 100 items placed on the agenda, An Nahar newspaper reported.

The daily quoted a cabinet minister as saying on Wednesday “it seems the president wants PM (Tammam) Salam to practice the management of the sessions.”

The country has entered the stage of vacuum at the helm of the country's top Christian post after the political arch-foes failed so far to agree on a consensual candidate as reports said that the post is expected to remain vacant for several months.

Sources told An Nahar newspaper published on Wednesday that vacuum will not “last long” due to the international pressure exerted on the political parties.