The Vatican considers the presidential elections in Lebanon as a battle of existence that surpasses the Maronites and focuses on the active Christians role in state posts in the country and the Middle East.

Sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Friday that the Vatican is persuading the United States Administration and world powers to safeguard the presidential polls and avert any vacuum at the helm of Lebanon's most important Christian post.

A cabinet session set to be held at the Baabda Palace on Friday was moved to the Grand Serail after sharp disputes loomed on the appointment of the Military Council as ministers will tackle the establishment of a cell to follow up the ongoing Syrian refugees crisis.

Ministerial sources said in remarks published in al-Liwaa newspaper that the session will be held at the Grand Serail to avert any possible dispute, which was on the agenda of the ministerial meet.

March 8 alliance lawmakers have promised to attend a fourth round of presidential elections set to take place next Thursday although they haven't specified if they would vote or not, Speaker Nabih Berri announced.

Berri told his visitors on Thursday that the lawmakers, who have so far boycotted the parliamentary sessions aimed at electing a president, will attend the fourth round.

Outgoing President Michel Suleiman expressed hope on Thursday that officials would meet all constitutional deadlines to safeguard the nation.

“The last 10 days of my term should prompt officials to safeguard the state and fortify its presence by implementing democracy,” Suleiman said in a statement.

Lawmakers once again failed on Thursday to elect a new president as differences between the March 8 and 14 alliances led to a lack of quorum in the fourth parliamentary session aimed at choosing a new head of state.

Speaker Nabih Berri set May 22 as the fifth round to hold the elections.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said that he will end his political activity at the end of the current parliamentary term as he “is seriously considering not to run for the elections.”

“I will be folding my political page and my voting for a new head of state would be my last,” Jumblat said in an interview with the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat.

Outgoing President Michel Suleiman will chair on Friday a cabinet session that will tackle a new package of appointments after positive signs loomed on filling the vacant administrative posts.

The session, which will be held at the Baabda Palace at 4:00 pm, will tackle 61 articles on its agenda, local newspapers reported on Thursday.

March 14 alliance leaders have been holding “routine meetings” away from the media spotlight to discuss the presidential deadlock, the coalition's officials said.

They told al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Thursday that the leaders are assessing each stage ahead of the expiry of President Michel Suleiman's term on May 25.

A parliamentary session set by Speaker Nabih Berri on May 27 to continue discussions on the public sector wage scale is under the threat of lack of quorum, An Nahar daily reported on Thursday.

The newspaper said that Christian MPs from the March 8 and 14 alliances have threatened to boycott legislative sessions if a new head of state was not elected after the expiry of President Michel Suleiman's term on May 25.

Efforts exerted by top Maronite leaders to hold a summit on May 17 in Bkirki were unsuccessful as sharp differences over the presidential elections widened the gap between the political arch-foes.

According to An Nahar newspaper published on Thursday, Christian leaders informed two envoys tasked by Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi that there's no enthusiasm voiced by any official to attend the meeting.