Opposition MP Marwan Hamadeh said Wednesday the formation of a salvation government is the first of three conditions set by the March 14 alliance to return to the national dialogue table.

President Michel Suleiman “knows what's the alternative to the resumption of dialogue,” Hamadeh told Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5).

Families of the 11 Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria briefly blocked on Tuesday the road to the presidential palace in Baabda to protest the ongoing abduction of their loves ones.

One of the relatives explained that the protest is a message to President Michel Suleiman to urge him to exert more efforts to resolve the case of the pilgrims.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi urged on Tuesday Lebanese rival parties to resume the national dialogue to overcome the crises in the country.

“The Lebanese people are waiting for politicians to resolve their disputes and gather around the dialogue table to confront the current challenges locally, regionally and internationally,” al-Rahi said during the Christmas mass that was held at Bkirki.

President Michel Suleiman criticized on Tuesday the boycott of the national dialogue, hoping that all political powers would attend the session set for January 7.

Suleiman said: “I do not understand the link between boycotting dialogue and the demand to topple the government.”

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel said that President Michel Suleiman fears that the the rival political parties might not resume dialogue, which has spared the country a lot of turbulence.

“The president prioritizes the interests of the country and the Lebanese, he doesn't understand the reasons behind boycotting the all-party talks,” Gemayel told al-Joumhouria newspaper on Monday.

President Michel Suleiman has voiced his disappointment with the failure of his initiatives that are aimed at persuading the various rival political parties to return to the national dialogue, reported the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Sunday.

It quoted his visitors as saying that he will likely propose alternate initiatives to persuade factions to return to the all-party talks.

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Saturday the importance of committing to the Baabda declaration to triumph over the developments that the region is passing through.

“Disassociating (the country) from the turmoil in neighboring countries is the only way to prevent Lebanon from being affected by the negative repercussion in the region,” Suleiman said after meeting with security delegations at the Baabda Palace.

President Michel Suleiman slammed on Friday Israel's decision to construct 2,600 new settlements in the West Bank.

He said: “The decision reveals the enemy's rejection of international efforts to reach peace in the region.”

President Michel Suleiman is expected to postpone again a national dialogue session set to be held in January to pave way for further efforts to bridge the differences between the March 8 majority coalition and the March 14 opposition, al-Liwaa daily reported on Friday.

The newspaper quoted informed sources as saying that Suleiman could postpone the all-party talks to early February after a similar postponement was made to January 7.

President Michel Suleiman congratulated on Thursday the newly-appointed members of the Petroleum Authority and urged for unity in their work plan.

Energy Minister Jebran Bassil and the authority's six members visited Suleiman in Baabda palace to brief him on their work on decrees that regulate the stage of issuing tenders for oil exploration.